


I Like Being Broken in a World (oh so distant)

by skies_and_caverns (orphan_account)



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, Unrequited Crush, erza is fed up with their shit, gray likes spice, gray's a pining idiot, natsu can cook, natsu is a big baby, self indulgent fluff if im honest, so is natsu but we'll ignore that, supportive wendy, they're hard, too lazy to tag all characters, unrequited natsu dragneel/lucy heartfilia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24245584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/skies_and_caverns
Summary: ......."Do you trust me?"It's a simple question, albeit one that contains hundreds of meanings in its rough, broken growl. It is a simple question that he shouldn't be asked by someone currently fighting against the shattered remains of his guild.The answer should be no. There is no other option. No other choice.But when all is said and done, even the screamed commands by mages decades his senior and the fresh blood that stains Natsu's clothes crimson (though he remains completely unscathed) cannot sway him. After all, he once was theirs. And Gray?He will forever be his."Always.".......In which Gray is a pining mess, Natsu doesn't understand signals very well, and they both get dragged into a war (and a cave) at the exact moment they shouldn't.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Comments: 50
Kudos: 107





	1. Prologue: oh no, he’s hot

Natsu was an enigma. There really wasn't another word that could wholly describe him and all of his psychotically endearing glory.

Gray sprawled casually in a booth, peering at his rival out of the corner of his eye as he dramatically kicked the doors in. Macao screamed something about how  _ Natsu was never this destructive as a kid, what in the hell happened? Where did we go so wrong? _ and Gray felt a small smirk ghost across his face unwillingly.

But how was he supposed to  _ not  _ react? The boy was an idiot. An idiotic blazing fire, burning bright no matter the circumstance and making everyone light up the second he appeared.

And people noticed when he showed up. Oh  _ gods  _ did they notice. Natsu's presence was a constant--something that every Fairy Tail member had come to appreciate with a warm fondness. Not only was his presence noticeable because of his noise and his powerful, yet familiar, aura, but because of the  _ heat _ .

“Hey! Ice-Princess!” Natsu bellowed from the entrance, blatantly ignoring the pieces of the doors he'd just shattered with an almost amusing sense of dedication. Gray sighed in exasperation as he watched the boy subtly (very obviously) kick a chunk of wood to the side that ended up exploding.

... _ oh. Oh no. Why is he like this. _

Anyway, the heat.

It was always so strong when Natsu was around, though he didn’t know he radiated it. As a mage who's magic stemmed from ice itself, he was more attuned to the subtle (or not-so-subtle, in the Flamebrain's case) shifts in temperature than the average person. It was also because of this that he knew he should feel stifled by his heat. Uncomfortable. Burned.  _ Threatened _ . 

And yet…

_ Now isn’t the time for this,  _ Gray berated himself. In the short time he'd zoned out, Natsu had crossed the distance between him and the entrance and now stood in front of his table, tanned hands on his hips. His expression had begun to take on a vaguely... _ piercing _ quality at the lack of response as if he were trying to pull Gray’s thoughts straight from his brain and into his own mind (there was nothing straight about what was going through Gray's mind, he could assure you. Natsu’s hands were just... _ hngh _ ). And although Gray had only stalled for a minute  _ at most _ …

Well, the two had always been a bit more  _ perceptive _ when it came to the other than their guildmates were.

“What do you want, you flame-brained pyro?” Gray drawled, taking care to make sure his voice sounded bored with the slightest touch of annoyance.

It didn't work.

Gray inwardly cringed, noting how strained his voice sounded even to his own ears. He knew Natsu’s enhanced senses would be able to catch it. If he was lucky, the other boy would be in too much of a fighting mood to give it much thought. But he wasn't really expecting any luck. The universe wasn't too kind when it involved Natsu. Throw Gray in the mix? You've got yourself an icy-hot jizz-freeze  _ spectacular _ . Extra jizz-y, 80% off,  ~~ limited time offer  ~~ _ extended  _ offer.

Alright. Not his greatest analogy. Even he admits that. He's just glad he didn't say it out loud (and maybe the universe is, too, because the pyromaniac in front of him didn't end up noticing).

Natsu launched forward and butted his forehead with Gray’s, squaring up against him. It was an awkward position. However, it wasn't actually because their faces were 3-4 inches apart  _ at most _ , but because the ice mage was still sprawled out casually in their booth. For the two to be butting heads, Natsu had one knee on the table and the other on the bench.

_ Right  _ in between Gray’s legs.

His toned arms braced around the taller boy’s head, essentially caging him in. The rippling, familiar heat that pushed and pulled like the tide surrounded Gray in a warm embrace as it promised safety and  _ home _ and--

_ Quiet, you moron. _

He was secretly glad that he and Natsu fought so frequently that the guild didn’t even bother to watch anymore. If any of their guildmates had been paying attention, their position would be  _ very  _ questionable, even for them. Especially with the intensity Natsu constantly exuded in both himself and his aura. Without the right context, it might seem that Gray was being pinned under Natsu in a fit of sudden passion or something, what with the whole leaning-in-closer-even-though-they-are- _ literally- _ forehead-to-forehead-just-to-glare-directly-into his-gods-damned- _ soul _ and  _ oh my gods he smells like  _ cinnamon _and_ _ if he didn’t want to eat him before now he definitely wants to  _ devour  _ him _ \--

Indeed, Gray was a moron. But at least that meant they were  _ both  _ morons, the flame-headed fool.

And it wasn't like Gray could  _ move _ . No, that wasn't even an option. Moving would only get them tangled up in each other, which would definitely catch the other members' attention because of Natsu's horribly-timed clumsiness that treated itself like a job of convenience (or  _ inconvenience _ , in the pinky's case).

_Funny how he’s an unstoppable, graceful monster in battle, yet me even_ attempting _to move my legs right now would make him fall over in a heap._ _  
_ He shoved back that dangerously fond rush that threatened (as it always does) to break past his annoyed expression, and leaned up to butt heads even more (a poor choice on his part, really, were Natsu's eyes always so stupidly _pretty_?).

“You want a fight, squinty eyes?” He goaded, slowly sliding his arms off of the booth to rest on his spread thighs. Hopefully, the shorter boy would notice and get off of him before something awkward happened.

Since they were so close together, it was impossible to miss the moment Gray's plan worked. It was also impossible to miss Natsu’s pupils dilating rapidly as he realized what position they were in. He leaped off of him in one fluid movement, pushing himself into a backflip over both the booth and Gray’s head to avoid the awkward backward scramble that would  _ definitely  _ garner some attention _. _

The boy tripped on his landing and slipped back with a startled  _ eep! _ . All Gray saw as he turned around and pulled himself up was a bright-pink blur slamming into the floor. He shuffled over on his knees to peer over the edge of the booth cautiously, before throwing his head back and bursting into surprised laughter that had him collapsing back into the booth and grabbing his stomach.

Natsu rocketed back up and glared down at Gray from the edge of the booth, a pink blush of embarrassment quickly spreading across his tanned cheeks. The contrast brought out the green in his eyes as he smacked the ice mage’s knee.

Gray sat up and casually jumped over the edge of the booth, smiling smugly at the fact that he landed so stably and the shorter boy had not.

Natsu stuck out his tongue and settled into the familiar fighting stance Gray had come to know so well that he even saw it in his dreams sometimes. He lifted his finger and pointed at the ice mage dramatically, an anticipation-filled smirk playing across his lips as excitement lit up his eyes.

It was in moments like these that Gray found him the most beautiful. Eyes gleaming with the promise of a fight, slight shoulders pulled back to leave his body open and inviting, the temperature fluctuating rapidly as his excitement bled into the air itself, and his sharp canines exposed with a smirk ( _ that damn smirk. _ It would be the death of him someday).

Though the Dragonslayer didn’t say a single thing, his body language practically  _ screamed  _ for Gray to come and fight him.

And, being the pining fool that he was, Gray did.

Fists flying, legs launching in powerful kicks as wooden shards rained down on them, they performed a dangerous dance that they called their own.  _ This  _ was where Gray belonged. Right here, with his best friend.

But every day he wished it was more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! This is my first work on here, so please feel free to let me know what you think might happen and what you think about the chapters! Also, if anything ever gets confusing, feel free to ask. Criticism is welcome, just please be nice ;-;


	2. no spice no life, losers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies if this is starting out pretty slow, I promise we're getting to the actual main plot! Also, this chapter is centered more around establishing Natsu's character. Consequently, this chapter isn't exactly the most "Gratsu-heavy" chapter. 
> 
> Also, I've made is so that once Gray isn't mentioned anymore in this chapter you can just skip to the next one and still have enough context for it to make sense. This is more like Prologue Pt. 2.

The sound of wood splintering echoed throughout the clearing. In the middle of the dust and smoke stood a single man, bearing strikingly bright salmon-colored hair. 

“Stupid ice princess,” he grumbled, landing punch after punch on a poor tree. “Always acting like I’m not there.”

If there’s anything Natsu hated more than anything, it was being ignored. _Especially_ by his rival. It was like he didn’t care at all that Natsu wanted his attention. He was bored, dammit! And _sure_ , he'd immediately been dragged into a three-way fight against Evergreen and Elfman (read: _started_ a three-way fight against Evergreen and Elfman), but that was just so... _ugh_. They had spent more time fighting with each other than with him, and did he _look_ like a couple's therapist? He didn't think so.

In conclusion: fights weren't as satisfying without Gray there.

He huffed and stopped attacking the tree. It didn’t deserve it anyway, and he patted it in apology before spinning around to wander back to the guildhall. It was too late for Gray to still be there, and if he was, he’d just beat the shit out of him. 

A rumbling in his stomach grabbed his attention, and he let out a long sigh. It was about time for him to go get some groceries to bring home. He loved Mira’s cooking, but her recipes weren’t always... _flavorful_ enough for a fire dragonslayer. One who was raised only on the finest of fires and richest of spices. 

Natsu smirked. He was spoiled rotten as a child, though Igneel never made it seem that way back then. 

The woods where Natsu resided were a decent distance from the guild. After all, he didn’t want to accidentally destroy it or Magnolia during his midnight rampages and training sessions. The long walk gave him time to think in the mornings, to prepare himself. Go over what he needed to do, what he wanted to eat, when he wanted to start his fights...

His stomach rumbled again.

_I really need to go shopping._

He paused in his trek to the guild, wondering whether he should go get some food or if he should see his friends. Again, it was pretty late, so a large chunk of them would probably be going home by now. He turned to head to the marketplace when he froze in his tracks.

_What…_

_What is that_ smell _…_

He’d never smelled something this _good_ before. 

He turned in a small circle, slowly sniffing the air. It smelled of mint and rosemary and like the crisp winter’s breeze over an open lake and--

_Gray._

He pushed aside the yearning to inhale more of that tantalizing scent and turned back around, fighting the urge to find out just _why_ exactly Gray’s smell was all the way out here, halfway to the forest and his home. It wouldn’t be because he’d come to visit him. The ice mage had only been to his home once, and that had been enough for him to _never again_ allow it to happen.

His house still had the cracks in the wall from when they had fought over dinner. He didn’t know why he never got that fixed up. Though he hated to admit it, the cracks served as a reminder of the fond memory the two shared.

Natsu sighed, which unintentionally brought more of that _delicious_ aroma into his senses. He scowled. How _dare_ that ice prick smell that good. And why wasn't he aware of it sooner? 

He spun back around with a huff, having turned towards the scent without realizing it. He was _going_ to get some food, dammit. And he was going to cook the best damn meal anyone had ever tasted. He’d even bring some to the guild!

_They’d probably take it as a challenge, anyway. Nobody trusts that I have actual skills in everyday life._

The mage shook his head, dismissing the thought. He didn’t care. He’d just have to prove them all wrong with his cooking ability! He’d show that droopy-eyed bastard that he knew how to cook!

He groaned, slapping his hand to his face. _And I’m thinking about that prick again._

Grumbling, he stomped down a different path to the market, putting all thoughts of Gray and his _horrible_ (read: _amazing_ ) scent behind. Natsu frowned as he strode over to a merchant stand selling many various types of herbs. 

He lifted up a pouch of rosemary, glaring at it with an intensity that had citizens keeping their distance. The merchant grinned nervously, looking around to make sure there were witnesses in case this angry mage decided to take it out on him. 

“How much for one pouch of rosemary and cardamom, two of the red wizard bales, and around 5 of the spiciest lacrima you’ve got?” Natsu lifted up the spices and herbs he’d selected and leveled his glare onto the innocent merchant, who looked as if he were about to shit his pants on the spot. 

“I...uh…”

Natsu grinned suddenly, realizing that he was putting the poor guy on edge. “Sorry man,” he chuckled, “it’s just been a rough day, y’know?” 

The vague excuse immediately set the merchant at ease. He relaxed and carefully plucked out the lacrimas from a shelf in the back. “Hey, boy,” he began, “I hope you’re not planning on using both the wizard bales _and_ all 5 lacrimas for whatever dish you’re stirring up. I highly doubt both you and anyone else who consumes it will be able to eat more than a bite, considering the heat these things can pack.”

“Eh,” Natsu shrugged. “I eat fire a lot.”

The merchant blinked. There was only one man he knew of that could eat fire. Was this the Salamander that belonged to the Fairy Tail guild? He certainly _looked_ the part, what with the muscled body, strange clothing, and bright hair. Due to the magic mages possessed, they tended to have stranger hair colors than normal civilians, though there were always a few exceptions. He also noted that the temperature had spiked since the young man had wandered into the market.

He totaled the prices and screwed up his face in deep thought. Natsu, who looked more confused than anything, waved his hand in front of the man’s face. “You in there?”

It shook the other out of his silence and he bagged the herbs without telling the mage his price. 

“Are you the Salamander I’ve been hearing so much about?” He inquired, leveling a steady gaze at Natsu, who just grinned in reply, revealing his sharp fangs.

“Maybe.”

The merchant looked excited as he brought out a pen and paper. “Oh, goodness me, my youngest daughter _loves_ you! I’ll give you all of this for free if I could just get your autograph! Oh, her 7th birthday is coming up and I know she’d just be _so_ happy and it’s not as if I can afford the gift I wanted to get her--Oh, you shouldn’t have to hear this sob story, but could I please get your autograph?”

Natsu took the pen and paper with a confused look on his face. He’d give the man the autograph for free normally, and he found it hardly fair to exchange just a measly _signature_ for his wares. Especially if--and it sounded like it were the case--the merchant didn’t have enough money to buy a gift for his daughter. His _seven-year-old_ daughter. 

No, Natsu had a sense of honor that he had to uphold, and by God, he was going to do it.

“How much would they be otherwise?” He asked, nodding his head at the herbs and lacrima. The merchant’s face fell. “Just 70 Jewel,” he mumbled, despairing at what he was going to get his poor daughter now. He startled as Natsu slapped down 700 Jewel onto the stand.

“Oh, young boy, this is too much--” He started, before Natsu gave him a wide grin that surprised him so much that he cut off mid-sentence.

“Take it,” the dragonslayer insisted warmly. “Buy the gift you want to get her, I’m sure she’d love it. And here’s my autograph, but I would have gladly given it to you for free, y’know. It's not that hard to sign a piece of paper."

The merchant’s eyes filled with tears, as he now had the exact amount to get his daughter her present, along with the signature of her favorite wizard. “Boy, you didn’t have to do this,” he muttered tearfully. Natsu picked up the herbs and, in a shocking move, ruffled the man’s hair. 

“I’m a Fairy Tail wizard,” he said bluntly, as if that somehow was a valid explanation for his good deeds. Which, somehow, it was. 

As he wandered away, wondering what else he should buy for his grand meal, he missed Makorov watching a few stands over with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going through this entire work again and I'm editing it based on y'all's comments! Just in case anyone is re-reading to try and make sense of it and is confused about why it's different, this is why. 
> 
> (Again, feel free to comment anything you'd like to see happen or don't understand! I can't guarantee I'll make everything y'all ask for happen, because then you'd be able to predict the fic just by reading the comments, but I will consider it and I will respond!!)


	3. cook for me forever, idiot (ily)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing all of this instead of practicing piano and I have a lesson today. As you can see, my priorities are SO straight right now.

It was a slow morning at the Fairy Tail guild. 

Natsu and Erza had yet to arrive, Lucy was at the bar gossiping with Mirajane and Cana, and Gray was sprawled out over another booth.  Gray found it peaceful in the mornings. Few people were there, and the people who were were usually calm and quiet. 

The door slammed open and the temperature started to inch up. Without even opening his eyes, Gray knew who had just barged in. 

Natsu had arrived. 

Though he knew he shouldn’t, Gray let his body relax with the familiar heat, dropping all his walls. He pretended that he wasn’t at the guild, that Natsu was with him as he woke up, surrounding him in his warmth as the sun shone onto the blankets. It would only hurt him, he knew, to indulge himself like this. But indulgence was all he could get, as he doubted the fiery Dragonslayer would ever return his feelings, much less share a bed with him.

He opened his eyes and watched as Natsu paraded into the guild, holding a large container of something in his hands as he made his way to the bar. He sighed, hoping it wasn’t some wild animal or something that would cause a commotion in the guild. He was in a rare state of calm, where he was loose-limbed and felt as though he were floating down a river. 

“You did  _ what _ ?” Lucy screeched. 

_ Ah, there we go _ , Gray silently seethed.  _ There goes my morning. That flame-headed pyro just  _ had  _ to bring something to interrupt it. _

“Oh, Lucy, I think this is great!” Mira’s lilting voice carried across the guild and Gray opened an eye to get a grasp of what happened without looking like he cared. 

“If it doesn’t  _ kill  _ us,  _ explode _ , violate some kind of  _ law _ \--” Lucy ranted. Natsu’s wide grin faltered and even if it was only for a moment, Gray still noticed. After all, he knew Natsu better than anyone else in the guild, except maybe Happy. He felt a rush of protectiveness that annoyed him. 

_ The bastard can deal with it himself, _ he groused.  _ I don't care. _

“Aw, c’mon Luce,” Natsu whined. “Just try it, I promise it won’t kill you!” Though he was acting like he was excited, the ice mage would see he was more than a little hurt by her assumption.

“Yes, I’m sure Natsu’s cooking isn’t that bad,” Mira reasoned. “It can’t be as bad as Erza’s attempt at making a cake a few weeks ago.”

Everyone groaned as they recalled the sludge they had been forced to eat to spare Erza’s feelings. When she gets that childish excitement in her eyes, you do  _ not  _ ruin it, unless you want an angry Dragonslayer and Requip mage after you. 

“So the flame-brain cooked something,” Gray drawled, his interest peaked as he made his way over. Strangely, Natsu didn’t rise to a fight. He just continued bouncing on his toes as he waited for someone to try it, clearly feeling better with Mira’s reassurance. 

Gray had to admit, it did look appetizing. The steak was seasoned generously and seared perfectly, and the vegetables were cooked just the way Gray liked. Even the plating was impressive, with little sprigs of rosemary and some kind of red sauce on top.

He kind of wanted to try it. 

As if she sensed that the ice mage wanted a taste, Lucy elbowed him in the ribs. “Why don’t you try it?” She suggested, hoping to use him as a guinea pig before she tried it herself. Mira nodded cheerfully, and Gray knew he couldn’t back out. Not even if Natsu himself denied it.

Speaking of Natsu, he seemed to tense up, looking vaguely worried as Gray took the fork Mira gave him and grabbed a piece of the meat and vegetables. It smelled amazing, that much could be said. 

He raised the fork and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. The steak wasn’t too chewy, and the seasoning was surprisingly spicy. He could feel the burn in his mouth and throat as he swallowed. 

He went for another bite. 

“Wait, it’s actually good?” Lucy exclaimed in surprise. She had been expecting Gray to do something dramatic to start a fight, like spit it out or complain about how bad it tasted. To her astonishment, Gray smiled.

“You really did cook something right, Slanty-Eyes,” Gray mumbled around his mouthful. The tension in Natsu’s body drained out, and he almost looked relieved. 

“Damn right I did, Ice-Princess,” he boasted, looking very proud of himself. There was a strange glint in his eyes that Gray didn’t trust, so he waited until Mira and Lucy had eaten before he ate more. 

Lucy nibbled at the bit on her fork, before swallowing the whole thing. She chewed in silence for a moment, before her face suddenly turned beet red and she started fanning her mouth. 

“Oh, wow,” she mumbled. “This is spicy, oh my gosh.” 

“Spice!” Mira exclaimed. “I love spice!” And she took a large bite, taking no precautions whatsoever. She, too, got red in the face. The she-devil tried to play it off, laughing nervously as she fanned her face. “Oh my, you weren’t wrong Lucy!”

In about two seconds, the women were running in quick circles and screaming about how spicy it was, with tears pouring down Lucy’s face and Mira getting some ice.

Natsu stared blankly at the girls, looking to be in complete shock. 

Gray settled in Lucy’s vacated stool, continuing to eat the dish with no problem. He enjoyed the spice, honestly. It was a welcome burn and held an amazing taste behind the heat. 

“Gray,” Mira called, voice hoarse. “How are you eating so much of that? It’s so spicy!”

Natsu’s focus shifted to Gray, who was eating bite after bite as if the spice wasn’t so excessive that it almost knocked Lucy out. He shrugged. 

“I like it,” he said simply. 

The glint in Natsu’s eyes came back, and he looked at Gray appraisingly. “Didn’t think you’d be able to handle the heat, stripper.”

The ice mage dropped the fork and stood up, Natsu butting their heads as they glared at each other. “My clothes are still on, you dumb lizard.”

Natsu looked down before meeting Gray’s eyes again. “Are they really, Droopy-Eyes?”

He looked down at himself, sure the Dragonslayer was just baiting him to make him look stupid, and groaned. “I swear, I was  _ just  _ wearing a shirt!”

Natsu grinned. “I guess my cooking was just that great, huh?” He looked proud of himself again, and it practically oozed out into the air. Gray struggled to keep his annoyed expression in place as he melted on the inside. 

_ He’s adorable _ , he thought affectionately. Though, it didn’t make sense as to why Gray liking his food was making the mage so happy.  _ He probably didn’t expect anyone to be able to eat spicy dishes that he likes _ , he reasoned.

The guild doors slammed open and a menacing aura stopped the crying Lucy in her tracks. 

“You boys aren’t fighting,  _ are you? _ ” A demonic voice boomed from the doorway. 

Gray spun around, going pale as Natsu slung his heavy arm over his shoulders to pull him closer. Gray put his arm around Natsu too, subconsciously pressing further into his warmth. The two clasped shaky hands.

“No, Erza!” They yelped in unison. Gray was slightly taller than Natsu, so the younger boy pressed his cheek into Gray’s neck to make them seem like they were getting along well. Gray pressed his own cheek into Natsu’s hair as they waited, staring into Erza’s angry eyes, to decide if today was the day they would die. 

Gray inhaled sharply as she frowned, and found himself nose-deep in the best smell he’d ever smelled. His eyebrows pinched together.

_ Cinnamon, pine, and smoke?  _ He wondered.  _ Where is this coming from? _

Natsu’s hair tickled his nose, and it clicked. The smell was coming from the pink-haired boy, who Gray had never been this close to if they weren’t fighting. That would explain why he’d never noticed before. 

Erza studied them for a moment longer, before sighing and turning away. “Good. I expect it to stay that way.”

As soon as she moved, Natsu pulled back just enough to square up to Gray again, olive green eyes glaring into his own. 

“Boys!” She snapped, turning around again. They quickly zipped back to their previous position. “Aye?” Natsu wheezed. 

“Get over here, we have a job to do,” she ordered. Making eye contact with Lucy, she waved her over. 

The wizards gathered around the table, looking at Erza as she slapped down a flyer. “We have a request. We need to follow and gain intel on a dark guild. We’re allowed to stop them, but not before we get our information.”

They all nodded. Lucy tilted her head and looked around the guild. “Who else is coming?” She asked. Erza was silent for a moment as she thought. 

“Me, you, Wendy, Natsu, and Gray.” She declared. “We will wait until Wendy arrives with Gajeel, Levy, and the Exceeds to make any plans, but she should be here at any moment.”

With that, the doors opened and the little Dragonslayer slipped in, followed by Carla, Happy, and Lily. “I heard my name?” She spoke in her soft, kind tone. Erza waved her over.

“Yes, you did. We have a mission and could use your skills on it.” She informed her. Wendy smiled. “Of course, Erza! I’d be happy to help.”

Happy flew over and perched on Natsu’s head, and reached up to scratch the Exceed’s ear fondly. “Hey Happy, how was the trip?”

Happy’s eyes spaced out as he started to drool. “I love the beach,” he said wistfully. “So many fish…”

Natsu’s boisterous laugh echoed throughout the mostly empty guild, and Gray could do nothing but stare. He always looked so happy when he laughed, like nothing else mattered and he was purely in the moment. It was hard to forget, with all the life-threatening situations they got themselves into, that Natsu was just 17. Not even an adult. Of course, Gray was only a year and a half older, but still. 

“I bet you do, buddy,” the fiery mage smirked. Oh, that smirk. It’d be the death of him, Gray was sure. 

“Happy, Carla,” Erza called. Lily, realizing he wasn’t needed for this, drifted off to help Mira and taste some of the meal still on the bar. The two exceeds looked at Erza with attention.

“You will not be coming with us.”

“What?” Carla exclaimed in disbelief. “Wherever Wendy goes,  _ I  _ go.” She insisted. Happy eyed Erza, before shrugging and drifting off to join Lily. He never argued when he and Natsu were split up. They were close enough to trust that the other would come back to them and sometimes needed to do things on their own. He didn’t like it, but there was no arguing with Erza.

But Carla wasn’t used to this. Gray doubted she ever would be.

“I absolutely  _ refuse _ to let Wendy wander around looking for some  _ dark guild _ all on her lonesome!” Carla exclaimed. Wendy cringed at how shrill the exceed’s voice was getting.

“Carla,” she soothed. “I’m not alone, I’ve got Natsu with me! He’s another slayer, he’ll understand if anything goes wrong. And I’m with our team!” 

“Exactly!” Carla hissed. “You’re with  _ Natsu _ ! While I trust him more than the rest of you since he’s saved your life so many times and he’s your fellow Dragonslayer, he’s also the most destructive in this team, if not the whole guild!”

Wendy looked ready to argue and Gray cringed, wanting nothing more than to go about his day and continue eating. Maybe a nice nap, a nice fight with Natsu, the usual. To his surprise, it’s the fire Dragonslayer, not the sky Dragonslayer, who reasons with Carla.

“I won’t let anything, or  _ anyone  _ harm Wendy,” he rumbled. He’s uncharacteristically serious, his intense gaze boring into Carla’s own in a battle of wills. She studied his expression closely, eyes narrowing. Gray felt the temperature climbing and subtly diffused his own magic to help lower it. Natsu’s hand twitched toward him, acknowledging what he’d done. The temperature dropped back down, and Gray released his magic. 

“ _ Fine _ ,” Carla seethed, dropping off the table to stalk towards her fellow exceeds. The serious demeanor Natsu had briefly adopted dropped as he laughed, bracing his hands on his hips. 

“Alright!” He exclaimed, slamming his fist into his hand. “I’m all fired up now!”

A small smile crossed Erza’s face and Wendy looked at Natsu gratefully. “Thank you, Natsu!” She chirped happily. The fire mage ruffled her hair and said nothing more, looking at Erza. She nodded and continued her explanation.

“Well, to summarize now that Wendy’s here,” she began. “We’re going to tail a dark guild and gather intel on them. If any groups break off, we’re allowed to fight them and turn them in to the Rune Knights. Once we figure out their goal and why they’ve been lingering around this region of Fiore, we’ve been permitted by the Council to take the whole guild down.”

Natsu’s eyes shone with excitement, and Grays allowed a small smile to ghost over his face. 

_ Of course he’d find this fun. I can’t lie, it seems like an easy mission, not to mention a chance to cut loose and not worry about hurting my opponent. _

Sure, he and Natsu don’t hold back. It’s like their one rule--no holds barred, give it everything you’ve got. But in the back of his mind, he always carried the worry that one day he’ll land a hit that would hurt his rival enough that he’d be cautious around him. That they'd lose what comfortable rivalry they had.

He’d told Cana all of this before. She knew everything. She’d also been the one to very loudly exclaim that the idea was stupid and that him landing a good enough hit to down Natsu for a while would only drive him to be better so he’d be Gray’s equal once more.

Logic was never present when it came to Natsu.

Lucy giggled. “Oh, of course you’d find this exciting Natsu,” she teased in her flirtatious tone. Gray frowned and looked away. He loved Lucy, but sometimes she got on his nerves. 

Erza smiled fondly. Gray knew she only saw him as a little brother, so he appreciated that he had another person to count on. 

“Alright,” she declared. “We meet at the train station at 7.”

“In the  _ morning _ ?” Lucy whined. Gray silently agreed; seven was too early. Normally he woke up at 9:30-ish.

Strangely, only Natsu seemed okay with this. If anything, he looked excited it was so early. “Hell yeah!” He cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Erza smiled again, clearly glad to see someone approved of her decision.

Lucy drifted off with Wendy, both muttering about how early it was going to be. Erza nodded once, before going over to the bar to investigate and get a slice of cake. 

It was only then that Gray noticed Lily in his battle form, hunched over the bar and breathing heavily. Happy was shoving a frozen fish into his mouth, and Carla was poking at Natsu’s food in suspicion. 

“Natsu!” Happy wailed. “Why’d you make it so spicy?” 

“Oh c’mon, it’s not that bad,” Natsu dismissed, though he did saunter over to rub Happy’s back in sympathy. Gray followed, releasing his magic so he could cool the air around the suffering mages. Happy gave his friend a disbelieving look.

“See, even the ice-prick has no problem eating it!” He gestured vaguely in Gray’s direction, who had gone to eat the rest of the meal. Gray shrugged, chewing contentedly. 

“I like it,” he repeated. 

Natsu gave him that weird look again, a strange smile playing over his lips.  _ What is up with him?  _

“Well good,” he rumbled, eyeing Gray. “Because the spicier the better. Now that I know you’re basically the only person who can handle it, you’re going to try all of my recipes!” Natsu exclaimed, again pointing dramatically at the ice mage.

Gray smiled, turning back to the food. “Bring it on,” he replies, warmth seeping into his tone. Natsu smiled back at him, and everything was peaceful.

God, Gray loved his smile.


	4. oh no, he's hot (the sequel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this escalated quicker than I meant for it to. I hope y'all like it though, and I really appreciate all the comments!

Gray pushed open the door to the train station, grumbling angrily as the harsh station lights pierced his eyes. It was too early to be starting a mission, _especially_ without coffee. 

It was just his luck, too, that the one morning he needed coffee, _he was out of coffee._

He could just order some from the refreshments stand in the station, but they didn’t sell the specific brand he liked. Of course, he should’ve expected it. After all, typical people don’t like their coffee with spice. 

_But maybe Natsu does…_

Gray shook his head irritatedly. It was early in the morning right before a mission and he had nothing better to do with his thoughts than think about Natsu. Typical. That flame-brained pyro needed so much attention that he had to plague his thoughts every waking moment.

Gray wouldn’t allow it. 

He ambled around, searching the station for any of his fellow teammates. He couldn’t be the first one there, could he? Of course, he was usually there before Erza, but Lucy was always excited to begin a new mission. Thanks to Natsu, she usually needed extra rent money.

Gray made his way over to their usual bench, setting his things beside him as he sprawled out on it. He blinked languidly, eyes tracing the cracks in the wall beside him from when he and Natsu had fought.

It was strange to think that anywhere Natsu had been, there would be small traces of him left behind. If you knew where to look, that is. 

“Gray!” A voice chirped cheerfully. The man in question turned to see Wendy walking over to him in her cautious way. He flashed her a small smile in greeting. It was impossible to not smile at Wendy. 

“Where is everyone?” She wondered, looking around in confusion. “No offense, but you usually get here around the same time as Natsu.”

He shrugged. “Guess that tabasco idiot wimped out,” he joked. “He’s all talk; he's scared of a train ride.”

Wendy giggled.

“It’s not his fault,” she defended, though it wasn’t as effective since she was still letting out small giggles at Natsu’s expense. “I guess it’s just a Dragonslayer thing.”

Gray shrugged again. “Doesn’t mean he should just let a measly train make him late.” Wendy just laughed and set her bag down, before perching next to him lightly. They sat in silence, and Gray caught the young girl stifling a yawn. The corners of his mouth twitched up. It seemed that even Wendy was having trouble adjusting to the early morning. 

_Speaking of, it’s not like the others to be this late._

He peered up at the holographic lacrima projection in the middle of the station. _6:50. At least Lucy should be here._

Wendy perked up, her head snapping toward the station entrance. Since he’d been around Natsu for so long, the mannerism was familiar to Gray. After all, Dragonslayers possessed heightened senses linked to how powerful they were, and Natsu was the most powerful Dragonslayer he knew.

Strange, how he prided himself in Natsu’s strength.

The Maiden of the Sky turned to Gray, opening her mouth to inform him of what he’d already guessed. It must have shown in his expression because she shut her mouth with an appreciative nod and an almost knowing smile. 

The station doors burst open and Erza marched in without the normally obscene amount of luggage she usually brought. In its place, she had only a few suitcases. Gray raised an eyebrow as she made her way over.

“Where’s the rest?”

Erza smiled sheepishly. “Mira caught me on my way out of the dorms and suggested that I maybe shouldn't bring all of my possessions with me,” she explained. Wendy laughed, and it sounded somewhat like bells. 

“Remind me to thank her when we get back,” she teased. Erza crossed her arms and mumbled something along the lines of _I most certainly will not_. She looked around and frowned, looking puzzled.

“Where are Lucy and Natsu?” She asked, examining the station. Gray shrugged, pretending it didn’t rub him the wrong way. Why should it? Natsu was a big boy; he could handle it himself.

 _I bet he’s a big boy~_ A small part of his brain leered. He scowled.

_Get the fuck out of my head, me._

“I couldn’t care less where that idiot is,” he grouched. “I say we just board already; I could use a nap and some coffee.” 

That would have been the _perfect_ moment for Natsu to quip “I bet you do”, or something along the lines. Whatever it would have been, it would have been equally as stupid. 

~~Maybe he did want Natsu to come.~~

Erza cut him a scathing glance. “I invited Natsu for a reason. His senses are the strongest here, not to mention he’s an exceptionally powerful mage and _our teammate_.” 

“Natsu might be with Lucy,” Wendy offered helpfully, glancing between the two older wizards. “He probably spent the night in her apartment and that’s why they’re both taking so long.” 

The Requip mage sighed and sat down next to Wendy. “Yes, you’re probably right,” she hummed. “From what I hear, Natsu has made _quite_ the habit of staying at her place.”

Though she meant it as a harmless observation, Gray clenched his jaw against a wave of jealousy and visibly closed off, oblivious to the thoughtful look the girls shared.

 _I live closer to the guild than she does…_ He brooded. _Why doesn’t he just stay with me?_

He knew the reason why. Nevertheless, knowing that he stayed with Lucy without a problem still stung. Especially since Gray had a sneaking suspicion that the Celestial mage had a crush on Natsu.

 _His_ Natsu.

Erza tapped her foot impatiently, looking up at the holo-lacrima with a look of irritation. “We have only a few minutes left before we board. Those two better hurry.”

As if Erza’s concerns had summoned them, Wendy’s head did another sharp turn toward the entrance. She giggled and nudged Gray playfully, blinking up at him with those big brown doe eyes. 

“You were right,” she confirmed, tilting her head to listen to whatever she was hearing. “Natsu doesn’t want to go on the train anymore.” 

He grinned. At least Natsu’s motion sickness was predictable. Annoying, but predictable. 

After a few moments, the doors dramatically slammed open to reveal a blonde yelling obscenities while struggling to drag her salmon-haired companion into the station.

“I don’t _care_ if you don’t want to go!” She seethed. “You’re coming, whether you like it or not! We’re almost late because of you, and I am _not_ in a good mood! If Erza tries to rip our heads off, I'll make sure she rips off more than just your head and I will leave you to _die_.”

Natsu growled, _growled,_ at her from his place on the floor. “That’s cruel! What’d I ever do to you?”

“You stole my bed!”

“You could’ve just shared it with me!”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

“Why the hell _wouldn’t_ you do that?”

Gray frowned. He didn’t like the idea of Lucy sharing a bed with Natsu. It definitely wasn’t because he was jealous. Not at all. _He would never._

“Because I’m not _insane_ and you hog all the blankets! Which I don’t even know _why_ you do that because you’re literally a human heater! _”_

“I like the weight, Loony!”

“ _Don’t start with this Loony shit again--”_

“If you let me leave, then I won’t!”

“Not happening!”

The other team members shared a collective look of amusement and Gray smirked. However much he hated Lucy’s flirting and seduction attempts (shut _up_ Cana, _he knew what she was doing),_ she could always be counted on to throw the biggest tantrum known to wizardkind--at least when it came to Natsu.

“Why not?” The Dragonslayer whined, jutting his lower lip out in a pout. Gray winced, knowing how powerful his puppy-dog eyes were (the one and only time Natsu used them on him, Gray had screamed bloody murder and faked his appendix bursting to cover it up).

“Because!” Lucy stammered out. She yanked him across the floor again and changed the subject. “Why do you _insist_ on sleeping at my apartment?”

“You’re the closest to the train station! Also, I ran out of blankets!”

“Oh, so you came to hog _mine_?”

“ _No_ , I came to hog your blankets _and_ your food!”

Lucy flushed bright pink and spun around, resuming her dragging attempts. “I don’t care if I live closest to the station! Why do you even need blankets; you're a _fire_ mage, dammit! Wake up earlier so you can sleep at your own home! Or sleep at Gray’s, I don’t care! You'd probably find it more comfortable to sleep in the same bed as him anyway so he can cool down that stupidly hot temperature of yours!” 

That stopped Natsu in his tracks.

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and pushed himself to his feet, stomping further into the station. It was too late to run now that Gray and the other girls had noticed him, and he knew it.

“Yeah, sleep at _my_ place, in _my_ bed,” Gray snarked. He meant it as a genuine offer, but nobody could ever know that. His provoking attempt passed right over Natsu’s head, as he was busy grinning cheekily at Erza to get on her good side. 

“You two are lucky you weren’t late.”

She turned away to begin boarding the train, and Gray watched Natsu as he let out a relieved sigh and fist-pumped the air.

They all filed on after Erza, who led them further back into the train until they reached their compartment. The girls all sat on one wall, which left the other cushioned booth open for the boys. 

_Of course I’m stuck next to the puking idiot._

Natsu settled into his usual spot next to the window. He always sat in the window seat. After all, he needed an easy-access vomit spot that was preferably _not_ one of their laps.

Gray sat on the remaining half of the booth, crossing his arms as he waited for Erza to explain the first portion of the mission. The sooner she explained, the sooner he could either find some coffee or take a nice nap. He eyed Natsu, who was soon going to be reduced to a nauseous mess and completely unable to comprehend literally anything.

The redhead followed his gaze and seemed to reach the same conclusion. 

“Now since we’re all awake and present,” she began. “We’re heading for the small town of Davenport. That was the last known location of the dark guild, Vaixell, before they moved out. There have also been some reports of the guild splitting into smaller groups. We can only hope that is the case; it'll make it easier for us to take them out, piece by piece.”

“However, this is one of the first times in Fiore history that a powerful dark guild has completely uprooted and undergone a cross-country migration like this. That is why I asked Wendy and Natsu to come along. Their enhanced senses will come in handy if we need to track them, and I suspect we will. Once they’ve received word that wizards are being sent after them, they’ll certainly make it more difficult for us to locate and detain them.”

“We’ll be on this train ride until late tonight. There are snack cars a few cars ahead, along with another research car with computer lacrimas and lacrima screens. We won’t be spending much time in Davenport, so expect to sleep outside for the night. I would suggest also sleeping now. With our luck, complications will inevitably arise and we may not be able to get normal amounts of sleep. We _are_ Fairy Tail’s most powerful--albeit destructive--team, after all.”

And with that, Erza rose, patting her skirt to make sure it lay in the right places. 

“I’ll be heading to the snack car. I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I heard they have strawberry cake at all times of the day.” Her eyes sparkled and she bounced on her toes, reminding Gray of the same excitement Natsu had shown the day before. 

Lucy chuckled and stood up, dusting her skirt off too. “I’ll join you. I’m pretty hungry since _someone_ ,” she glared at Natsu, who pouted and crossed his arms. “ _Someone_ decided to make omelets with the remaining food in my fridge and then _fall asleep in my bed and refuse to leave._ ”

Natsu stuck his tongue out at her.

The mage let out an indignant huff and swept out of the room, ranting about how _that’s illegal you idiot I could have you sued for that or call the police and I haven’t and this is how you treat me I can’t_ believe _you--_

Gray smirked. He found it funny that Lucy had to experience the same bullshit Natsu’s been dealing out for so many years of Gray’s life. 

(Ignore the fact he loved it. Bullshit was still bullshit.)

Wendy also stood, staring at Erza with bright eyes. “If it’s okay, I’d like to come with both of you. Grandeena used to make me human snacks all the time and I wanted to try and find my favorite one! I think it was called ‘blueberry cobbler’? It had this really nice ice cream with it and some kind of syrup and the crust is kind of flaky and it had a lot of blueberries but _that’s_ pretty obvious…” 

She blushed and trailed off as she realized everyone was watching her with varying forms of amusement. 

“Nevermind, I’ll go find some!” She rushed out in a fit of embarrassment, grabbing Erza’s hand and dragging her along. The sound of Wendy’s rapid explanation of the dessert and her companion’s laughter faded away into the quiet background noise of the other passengers. Gray shut the door and sat back down, kicking his feet up on the booth across from him.

The silence was deafening in contrast to the loud banter that had just filled the compartment. 

Gray sneaked a glance at the other male, wondering why he wasn’t starting a fight already, and had to bite back a laugh. 

Natsu leaned against the window with his legs propped up on the booth he and Gray shared. His face was tinged green, vaguely reminding Gray of a sickly plant. 

He made an irritated face at Gray once he realized that the ice mage was just silently laughing at him instead of doing anything to help, but he ended up looking extremely constipated. He held an arm over his stomach and covered his mouth as a violent gag took over.

“Having trouble, Slanty-Eyes?” Gray teased, smirking at the other wizard, who just flipped him off and grunted something about having _exotic eyes how dare you you Droopy-Eyed bitch you could never._

“Mhm, how’s that going for you,” Gray drawled in a husky voice. He examined the boy’s eyes, taking in how Natsu was right. His eyes _did_ look beautiful. 

Long, thick eyelashes brushed against high cheekbones with every blink. With the angle of his eyes unique only to Natsu, he had a permanent sultry look, even when he was angry. His eyes had a strange feline quality, though there was something else Gray couldn’t place his finger on. Gray just chalked it up to the dragon part of him.

Natsu’s eyes were large and carried so much emotion and expression that they were easily the most noticeable feature on his face. They invited attention, they invited _admiration_. No matter how you looked at it, his eyes only added to his attractiveness. 

Gray was suddenly _very_ glad that the Dragonslayer had no idea how to use his looks to his advantage. He would be completely and utterly _fucked_ if he knew. 

Natsu turned a pink-green shade under Gray’s scrutiny and pushed his feet out to kick Gray’s thigh. 

Gray snapped out of his trance, silently admonishing himself for ogling Natsu so openly. Had Natsu not been reduced to a mess with gastro-intestinal issues, he might’ve noticed it. 

He glanced from the Dragonslayer’s feet to his slightly-green face and raised an eyebrow. _Yeah, he definitely didn’t notice._

“Real mature, Pyro.” 

The boy just shut his eyes against a wave of nausea. He didn’t remove his feet from their place pressing into Gray’s thigh and side, but Gray didn’t mind. They were a warm pressure reminding him that he wasn’t alone, and he felt strangely safe with Natsu’s foot _jabbing into his side_. 

Once Natsu had started his assault on his victim, he would never let someone else steal his glory. And since he was _clearly_ assaulting Gray already, he would never let anyone else try it, even if he himself was immobile. 

It was questionable logic, but it made sense to the ice mage, and he soon dozed off with a sense of tranquility.

His thighs were burning. Why were they burning? He was an ice mage, he could just cool it down. Yes, he’d just cool himself with his magic.

The temperature on his thighs lessened significantly, until it was nothing but a cozy burn seeping into his muscles. His muscles relaxed as tension seeped out of them. It was then that he noticed the weight, noticed it shifting away. 

No, he couldn’t have that. 

Without so much as even opening his eyes, he reached out for the source of the weight, grabbing something hot, heavy, and smooth. He liked it. It reminded him of Natsu.

_Natsu…_

He moved what was in his grasp and hummed with satisfaction, letting the calming heat and weight once again guide him to sleep.

_Where did it go?_ Why was his lap so cold now? 

Muttering his discontentment, Gray reluctantly opened his eyes, squinting against the bright noon light filtering in through the compartment windows. He turned, searching for his previous source of warmth but only finding Natsu, who was curled in the fetal position and groaning miserably.

_Natsu…_

Natsu! _That’s_ what it was. The flaming idiot must have heated himself up in his motion-sick state and interrupted his nap. 

_The audacity of some people,_ he thought affectionately, letting a soft smile ghost over his lips as he gazed at Natsu. Who, at that very moment, lifted his head to meet Gray’s eyes. 

He felt something in his chest twinge as his eyes met the Dragonslayer’s own. 

Eyes that were normally as green as the forest ferns that grew in the summer of northwestern Fiore, eyes that were normally bright and blazing, full of life itself. Eyes that pierced his very soul, containing so much pure emotion that it sometimes stopped him dead in his tracks and made it difficult to breathe, were glazed over in nauseous agony. 

Gray normally didn’t notice the pain in Natsu’s eyes when they were on any form of transportation. The rest of the team was almost always there, and he couldn’t afford for some of the keener mages to notice how he really felt. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t exactly the most _subtle_ about it. 

Aromas of various kinds of food wafted under the door as two passengers walked past their compartment, chatting loudly about the many delicacies the snack car offered. Natsu gagged violently, the sound grating against Gray’s eardrums. 

“Aw, does somebody have an upset tummy?” He goaded, raising an eyebrow. He didn't mean it. He just _really_ wanted to interrupt the gagging noises that he couldn't bear to hear anymore. Natsu grumbled peevishly, but a sudden jolt of the train made his incoherent muttering cut off with a quiet, pain-filled whine.

Gray’s eyes widened. He’d never _once_ heard a sound like that come out of Natsu’s mouth. At least, none that he remembered. And he definitely would have remembered hearing something like that.

It hurt, in a strange way, to see the Dragonslayer who was normally so full of life reduced to nothing but a shaky mess. He, who normally filled entire rooms with his boisterous presence, was curled into a small ball, attempting to hide from the pain. 

Gray sighed, and opened his arms, averting his gaze to conceal a small blush.

“C’mere, you fiery freak,” he mumbled. 

Natsu cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing as he debated whether or not Gray was being serious. Another bout of quaking from the train seemed to convince him, as he gingerly uncurled from his fetal position and scooted over to duck himself under Gray’s arm before he could change his mind.

_He’s burning up , _ Gray worried, tucking his arm around the younger male to pull him closer. His hand fit perfectly in the curve of the shorter boy’s waist, something that didn’t escape Gray’s notice. Quite the opposite, actually. The ice mage felt a warm sensation blooming in his chest and bringing a small smile to his face. He liked that they fit together so well. It felt... _right._

Without Natsu's wretched gagging, the compartment was almost completely silent. Not a sound escaped the Dragonslayer, save for the occasional grunt and garbled complaint about _this stupid death machine I swear to the gods whoever made this will die--quit looking at me like that, Popsicle, I don't care if they're dead already!_ that elicited an amused huff from Gray. A huff that he made sure was infused with his magic and cold, which he was rewarded for in the form of Natsu sighing softly and pressing closer.

It was because of his movement that a strand of Natsu's hair tickled Gray’s nose, and he scrunched his nose up to keep himself from sneezing. He gingerly batted it back into place. To his surprise, the small action caused Natsu to lean up into his touch, a low keen rumbling in his throat. Natsu froze as he realized what he was doing, jerking himself back with a blush adorning his cheeks that combated Gray's own.

“What are you doing, stripper?” He stammered, clearly fighting back yet _another_ wave of vomit just to get the words out. Gray found that he couldn't hold eye contact with those big, green eyes, and looked away to clear his throat.

“Look, I _said_ c’mere,” he snapped, voice ragged. Though he’d snapped at Natsu, his words lacked any genuine bite.

Gray reached out for the Dragonslayer, but he didn't touch him in case he genuinely didn’t feel comfortable. It didn't matter to him that he'd essentially be losing the chance to hold the shorter boy close. _N_ _ot giving him an option is worse than letting him back out,_ Gray reasoned. _He'd definitely hate me for it, and I'd never know if he actually wanted to or not._

Natsu didn't move, staying stiff and silent as he eyed the taller boy with as much suspicion as a severely motion-sick person could have. He leaned back a bit, and Gray felt his heart sink in disappointment as he realized that Natsu wasn’t going to come back and he had _definitely_ messed up and crossed some sort of boundary between them. 

At least, that’s what he thought before Natsu bonelessly melted _directly_ onto Gray’s lap. Gray hurried to put his hand in between Natsu's head and the wall as he flopped onto him to keep the Dragonslayer from banging his head on the wall. The wall was completely covered in cushions, but still. Hitting his head wouldn't help his motion-sickness, and even though he wasn't _currently_ puking, Gray didn't want to risk getting covered in vomit while all of his luggage was in an armor realm. _Erza's_ armor realm. Erza, who was in a completely different _car._

It was all about precautions. ~~He also wanted an excuse to put his hand on the younger boy’s stupidly fluffy-looking salmon locks again.~~  


“Fine, you stupid snowflake,” Natsu muttered once he'd settled in. The ice mage let more of his magic seep out to counterbalance the burning mage, who sighed in relief as the coolness helped ease his headache. He turned onto his side and faced Gray’s stomach, before pulling his hands closer to his chest to rest them on the other’s thigh.

They stayed like that in silence for a while. 

It was vaguely uncomfortable, Gray had to admit. Not because he didn’t enjoy having Natsu in his lap, not at all, but because he could feel the tension pent up in his body. Unlike Natsu’s heat, Gray’s magic couldn’t soothe the boy’s coiled muscles. 

As it was, the universe hated Natsu. The train jostled as it went over a particularly bumpy stretch of tracks, and Gray could hear the car rattling slightly as it bounced at the quick speed the conductor set. Natsu let out another whine and burrowed further into Gray to grip his shirt loosely in his hands. Clearly, the sharp movements had only aggravated his headache and stomach further. 

_I wonder if I..._

Hesitantly, he threaded a hand into Natsu’s pink locks, praying that the simple act wouldn’t cross a line and send the Dragonslayer skittering away to the other side of the compartment, where he would definitely end up vomiting.

To his shock, Natsu pushed into his touch with a soft, pleased hum. A warm flush settled over Gray’s body, and he wasn’t completely sure if it was due to Natsu subconsciously messing with the temperature or how... _adorable_ Natsu was. Really, he was quite cute. Especially with all the quiet, yet approving, noises he was making, and the way his cheek squished from where it was smushed against Gray's thighs. His hair was splayed haphazardly across the ice mage's lap, contrasting brightly against the dark denim jeans the taller boy wore and looking like a wild pink halo. And he had his full, pink lips pulled up in a tiny smile that made him appear even _cuter_. 

The strange warmth spread further throughout his body, and he welcomed it. It felt nice. _Natsu_ felt nice.

Gray delicately stroked Natsu’s hair, dipping his fingers down to trace his hairline before swooping back up to scoop his hair out of his face. The Dragonslayer twisted his head in search of a better angle, which Gray was happy to help him with. He moved his hand and lightly scraped his nails along the side of Natsu's head, pursing his lips thoughtfully.

 _Dragonslayers are like dragons, right?_ He mused, fiddling with a strand of Natsu’s pink hair in fascination. His hair was soft, smooth, and strangely fluffy. Not that it was a _bad_ strange, no, it was not. He liked how it bounced right back up after he pressed it down, how easy it was to untangle, how it had highlights that he had never noticed before. He liked noticing the various shades of pink and occasional single strands of black that reflected the light with a glossy shine. It was surprising how healthy and well-kept Natsu's hair was, especially considering it was, well, _Natsu_ , and he was known for disappearing into the woods every time he wasn't at the guild or with his team.

_ Some of the girls at the guild can only  _ dream  _ of having hair like his,  _ he thought proudly.  _ Why  _ he was proud of Natsu having better hair than everyone else? He had no idea.

But it was just so _fascinating_ how Gray’s simple caresses made Natsu so pliant and trusting.

He liked it. He liked it a lot, and he _definitely_ liked it more than he should.

With every ruffle, every movement, every _touch_ of the mage’s hair, more of that soothing smell (cinnamon, pine, and smoke--he could never forget it) wafted up, filling Gray’s senses until he felt a little drunk on it. If he was honest, everything felt like a bizarre fever dream. 

He snapped himself out of his thoughts, bringing himself back to reality (was he sure it was reality?) and his idea. _Dragonslayer’s are like dragons, dragon’s had some tendencies that resembled animals, so by_ that _logic…_

Gray lightly scratched at the hair on Natsu’s scalp directly behind his ear, waiting with anticipation for the Dragonslayer's reaction. And he wasn't disappointed.

Natsu’s eyes fluttered open, long lashes brushing against his cheekbones. His eyes rolled back as a muffled _mmph_ escaped him, lips pressed tightly together to quiet the sound and body melting into the taller boy.

Gray held as still as a crow's nest in the dead of winter. _Did he? Did that really happen? It couldn’t have happened. It definitely could_ not _have happened._

In the history of happened, that did not.

After he'd paused to process what just happened, he felt his curiosity rush back with renewed vigor. He once more threaded his hand through the hair on the side of Natsu’s head, before he scratched again, harder, in the hair behind his ear. Natsu’s eyes fluttered and he pressed the side of his face into Gray’s thighs, biting his lower lip to stifle a noise. Gray felt something dark and possessive stirring in his chest, and his eyes glinted dangerously.

 _Uh uh uh, you’re not holding anything back, little dragon,_ he thought, before once again scratching the spot behind his ear, though it was a little rougher than he originally intended to.

“ _Nngh,_ Gray--” Natsu moaned out, cheeks an absolutely _delicious_ shade of crimson. A fleeting thought of _he looks good in red_ crossed Gray's mind. Natsu turned his face fully into Gray's freezing thighs to hide, but he just continued to massage the back of his head and scratch at that one spot.

Natsu’s muffled groan vibrated deeply in Gray’s legs, and his hand clenched in Natsu’s hair as he knocked his head back against the wall with a quiet _thump_. 

_Oh my gods, Natsu…_

He knew, of course, that he couldn’t keep it up. But in a fit of selfishness and self-indulgence, Gray tested another one of his theories. Since his last one turned out _oh so good_. Gray gathered a handful of Natsu’s feather-soft hair into his hand, allowing Natsu to turn his face up and away from his thighs so Gray could see him, and _pulled_.

A low, throaty moan escaped Natsu’s lips, and he seemed too far gone with Gray’s motions and cold body to even be ashamed.

As for Gray, he was regretting not stopping when he had the chance. 

Natsu looked up at him through thick, full lashes, the sickly haze in his green eyes from earlier replaced with a glazed over look of _want_. His cheeks were painted with a pretty blush that spread to the tips of his ears, and his hair was messily sprawled across Gray's lap. The boy's full, plush lips were parted as he breathed in soft pants that Gray could feel brushing against the front of his suddenly-too-tight jeans.

_Nope, no no no, not today. Not now, not in 5 minutes. Absolutely not._

And it wasn’t that Gray didn’t want this. Quite the contrary. In fact, he craved it. Gray’s worries had a little more to do with keeping himself from losing the thin grasp he had on his self-control and smothering the outrageously-attractive boy in kisses. Natsu deserved a nice nap and a nice reprieve from his motion sickness. So far, Gray had only supplied one of those. 

And it was _not_ the nap.

Once Gray had essentially guilt-tripped himself into not being hard, he tenderly threaded his fingers into Natsu’s hair again, turning his face towards his thighs so he wouldn't get a cramp in his neck. He massaged Natsu’s scalp with soothing, cold fingers, hoping that it would help relieve whatever headache the mage might still have. He delicately traced his fingers along Natsu’s hairline, then affectionately brushed the pink tufts of hair that had fallen over his forehead up and out of his face. Sometime during the gentle motions, Natsu had drifted off in Gray’s lap, lulled to sleep by the repetitive strokes. 

Even though he was still asleep, Natsu still managed to crack a small smile at the fond gestures.

 _Gods,_ Gray adored him. 

* * *

When the girls eventually wandered back from the snack and information cars, they were definitely not expecting to find Gray and Natsu in the state they were in.

Gray was draped over the booth, head resting against the cushioned car walls. He had his hand wound through Natsu’s hair, still lightly combing through the pink locks, even in sleep. He had his other arm draped protectively around Natsu with his hand tucked under the Dragonslayer's side, preventing him from tumbling onto the floor.

Natsu himself was snoring away. Much to the girls’ surprise, his skin lacked the sickly green pallor that motion sickness normally brought him. He didn’t seem to be in pain, either. If anything, he looked comfortable and open in a way that none of the girls had witnessed before, a small smile gracing his face. It made him look younger and more like he hadn’t looked Death in the eyes and given her the big _fuck-you_ more times than they could count.

He looked like a teenager.

Erza was the only one to enter the car, treading lightly as to not wake the two boys. _And that’s what they are,_ she reminded herself again. _Boys_. 

Not men. Not adults, though they might as well be considering the hardships they’d seen in their life. 

But _boys_.

Two boys, entwined together and providing each other comfort, even in sleep.

Two boys that Erza knew, given time, would grow closer than anyone she’d ever met.

She Requipped a blanket that she tenderly tucked around them, before brushing Gray’s hair out of his face and ruffling Natsu’s own hair, backing slowly out of the compartment. 

Erza didn’t miss the jealous look on Lucy’s face.


	5. if you're gonna call me stupid, make sure you put--ight nvm plz help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for missing two weeks of updating! I just got back from a family vacation and I promise I'll respond to everyone's comments as soon as this chapter gets out. 
> 
> With school out, I kind of need SOME deadline. Otherwise, it gets boring.
> 
> This chapter is a few thousand longer than the others to make up for the delay. I hope you enjoy!!

Natsu had never woken up in a more awkward position in his _life._ And it wasn’t like he didn’t appreciate the comfortable sleep he’d gotten. He did, really, he did. He hadn’t slept properly in _weeks_ (months? Time was fuzzy since Tenrou).

But to wake up curled against your _rival_ with your _head_ in his lap while he _holds you close_ and runs his hands through your hair and scratches that _one spot_ you didn’t know you had but _dear God_ _you have it_ \--

It did some things to him. He didn’t understand what those things _meant_ exactly, but he could acknowledge that they were, in fact, _things_. 

All he knew was that his dragon was purring, content to remain in Gray’s arms. It seemed to like his scent and cold temperature that rivaled his own burning body heat. Much to Natsu’s chagrin. 

Gray stirred slightly when Natsu withdrew from his hold. To Natsu’s relief, he only muttered with dismay and adjusted to lay his whole body on the cushions. One of his legs hooked over the edge of the booth as he shimmied his shoulders and arms off, leaving them dangling just a few inches away from the floor. It was a precarious position, and Natsu wished he could take a picture of the ridiculous scene.

His dragon had other ideas, keening as it mourned the loss of the ice mage’s embrace. 

_What the fuck, you stupid dragon_ , Natsu scolded, glaring balefully at a wall. _Why now? And why_ him _?_

Gray shifted, waving his arms around in search of Natsu’s warmth. His fingers knocked against the carpeted floor, and his peaceful expression soured as he grumbled with discontent. He shifted to lift his head, making an absolutely _absurd_ face. His eyes were still closed, consciousness lost to the deep depths of slumber. Tufts of inky black hair stuck up at angles gravity _definitely_ shouldn’t allow. It seemed to give Gray an almost boyish charm.

 _Not charm not charm not charm,_ Natsu recited like a mantra in his head. _Definitely stupid-looking. I have never seen such a sea-urchin looking person in my life. Pathetic, in fact._

He scrutinized the messy-headed boy as he cautiously inched closer. Natsu's hand hovered uncertainly over Gray’s head, which the boy in question dropped back down onto the cushions with a disappointed huff.

Another piece sprung up, dislodged from its haphazard position. It looked almost like a unicorn horn, with the way it defied all logic to stick out _right_ above Gray’s forehead. How that even happened, Natsu had no idea. It didn’t follow the laws of physics (not that he knew much about those, but nevermind that). 

Natsu tentatively rested his hand in the ice mage’s hair, eyeing him warily. He gently tugged his fingers through the strands, making a face when they caught against one tangle after another.

 _And they say_ I _don’t take care of my hair_ , he thought with an outraged scoff.

He raised his other hand, reaching in to stubbornly (yet delicately) detangle the ice mage’s silken hair, having worked himself into a fit at how Gray got away with not brushing his hair but Natsu got chided for the same thing. _Especially_ since he brushed his hair. Quite frequently, in fact!

The Dragonslayer absently wondered how hair as silken as Gray's even tangled in the first place. It personally offended him that the man in question let his hair get like that. It was a _personal_ grievance. Very personal. He'd have to make it a point to help fix the mess at _least_ once a day. Dumbass snowflake.

Gray winced as his fingers tugged at a particularly stubborn knot, moving his head slightly closer to the edge of the booth.

Natsu stilled, before carefully, _carefully_ , lifting up his rival’s head and moving it away from the edge. While he waited to make sure Gray wouldn’t wake up, he found himself marveling at the polarity between the sun-kissed tan of his skin, and the pure darkness of the mage’s hair. 

The corners of his mouth quirked up in a small smile. It looked right, his hand surrounded by the inky black. It _felt_ right to clench his fingers around the silky smooth locks and--

 _What the_ actual fuck _am I doing?_

He ripped his hand from Gray’s hair as delicately as possible, given his haste, before he flung himself across the compartment to crouch on the vacant booth, openly gawking at the sleeping figure. Then his hands. Then back to the boy. Then his hands again. 

It was dead silent. Except for, of course, the faint almost-snores.

He slipped into his mind, dulling down all his senses with a technique Igneel ingrained into him so long ago that it was as easy as breathing. Most of the time, anyway.

Deep breaths in and out. Reality fell away. Further and further he pushed his consciousness until he felt the familiar burn of his magic pulsing around the edges. Until it was just him, immersed in roaring flames. _Right_ where he needed to be to just--

 _You stupid reptilian maniac,_ he bellowed. _Why are you doing this to me? What's wrong with trying to help this snowball with his hair? I am doing him a_ favor _a_ _s a_ friend. _I don't care what you say! Or don't say! You don't speak, you're me!_

(Dragonslayer magic had a habit of confusing him. Quite a lot, actually.)

Sometimes he just needed to scream.

He blinked rapidly as he tried to readjust to the explosion of sound, light, and _smells_ assaulting his mind, making it hard to reorient. Once the barrage had lessened, he turned to fixate on his rival. The colors may have been too bright, the sound of Gray's blood pumping through his veins too loud, the various scents of strangers and food wafting throughout the car might have blended into a migraine-inducing mix, but at least he was paying attention again.

And it was a good thing he was, because the little shit was _once again_ waving his arms around like no tomorrow, grumbling unintelligibly. Natsu narrowed his eyes as the rush of blood moving through the ice mage's veins accelerated. As Gray woke up.

 _Oh shit,_ as Gray _woke up_.

Natsu panicked and quickly ducked down into Gray’s grasping arms. He told himself that it was just to keep him asleep, if only to avoid having to explain the strange, _awkward_ situation.

Gray immediately settled down with a quiet sigh, wrapping his arms protectively around Natsu as he pressed his face into the Dragonslayer’s hair. He grumbled incoherently and nuzzled closer.

It wasn’t long until Gray’s heartbeat slowed and his full weight slumped against the younger boy. Long, icy fingers gently curled into his scarf and trailed delicately along his shoulders, before coming to thread into the soft strands at the nape of his neck. Gray rested his head on Natsu’s shoulder, who ended up supporting the entirety of Gray’s heavy torso.

_What in the fresh fiery hell?_

His glorified-reptilian-magic preened, urging him to lean back into those slender fingers. The cold felt downright _heavenly_ dragging softly along his skin. Gray inhaled deeply with a pleased murmur. Natsu's eyelids fluttered against his will as his dragon betrayed him, the damn bastard. He stayed as still as possible, every muscle in his body tensed as he fought to put his dragon in its place.

 _He wasn’t scenting you, moron,_ he hissed internally. _He probably thinks you’re a pillow or something. A very human-like, hungry, flame-eating pillow._

His mind began to wander and his eyes drifted to the train window. He gingerly hooked his chin over Gray’s shoulder to see better. It was oddly peaceful to just look out at the scenery speeding past, even though it was night and there wasn’t much more out there aside from blurry shadows and moonlight. 

Natsu had never been able to look out of a train window. At least not while it was moving. The motion of all forms of transport upset his dragon and put him in excruciating pain as every instinct screamed for him to _get off get away bad bad bad not right not right want to eat fight_ ** _fly_ ** _._

As much as his dragon was content to remain in the ice mage’s embrace, and as much as Natsu wanted to continue staring at the inky black silhouettes blurring outside the window…

He was _starving_.

Natsu blew lightly on Gray’s eyelids, deeming it safe enough to tug away from the ice mage’s grasp once his eyelids didn’t move. 

Gray’s arms tightened again, and he turned to smush his face against Natsu’s scarf. He mumbled faintly and Natsu leaned down to make out the words, though the only things he could understand were creative obscenities protesting the movement and it was hard to make out all of it, due to Gray's face being _literally_ smushed in the thick scarf. 

_Spoiled Ice Princess,_ Natsu thought with a small smirk, but no small amount of annoyance. He was still hungry, after all. And a _hungry_ Dragonslayer makes for a _very_ _unsympathetic_ Dragonslayer.

In summary, Natsu had had _enough_ . He wanted food, and he wanted it _now_.

But he didn’t exactly want the other boy to wake up the second he pulled away. Or fall to the ground and _then_ wake up (though it’d definitely be funnier, and maybe if he fell good enough he’d get brain damage and forget the whole thing).

Gray waking up, however it might happen, would negate the _entire_ purpose of sitting there for who _knows_ how long, wrapped up in those freezing cold arms and bracing that heavy weight. More importantly, it would mean he spent the last _hour_ fighting against his dumbass dragon for no reason. And dammit, if that happened, he'd lose his shit.

Natsu pursed his lips and tilted his head at an uncomfortable angle to look down at the ice mage. With the mane of darkness covering the boy’s face, the paleness of his skin was made even more clear. 

Now that he paid attention, Gray’s skin and the fabric of his scarf were just a few shades apart. Funny how he never noticed how pale the boy was. He wondered how Gray would look wearing his scarf. He’d never seen _anyone_ wear his scarf before, and for good reason.

After a brief moment, a thought struck. 

_...Well, I mean..._

He hated the idea, but if Gray liked his smell and thought he was just a nice-smelling pillow, then it would _probably_ work. And almost _anything_ had to be more comfortable than sleeping with the entire upper half of his body dangling off the booth. The Dragonslayer worried his bottom lip between his teeth, mulling over how much he trusted his rival with his prized possession. 

On one hand, Gray knew how important it was to Natsu, and he would understand that he couldn’t lose it. Not if he valued their friendship. Not if he valued his _life_.

On the _other_ hand, he had a stripping habit. Though, if he could constantly keep that necklace around his stupid-looking neck even while stripping everything else, he _might_ keep the scarf on too. 

But then again, there was no sentimental value to the scarf for Gray. He valued his necklace because it was a remnant of _his_ past. The scarf would only serve as a reminder of Natsu, which was something the Dragonslayer wasn’t _particularly_ sure he’d appreciate. If anything, he’d lose it just to spite him.

Natsu shook his head slightly with a resigned sigh. 

Gray was a _bitch-ass moron_ , yes, but he wasn’t a cruel and horrible person. No matter how far their rivalry may take them, he knew that the ice mage would never do something like that to him. After all, he considered him a friend. An annoying, stupid, moody friend.

Natsu accidentally nipped his lip with his fangs.

Confused and hungry, he just took it as a sign and hesitantly unwound his scarf from his neck. He lifted Gray’s head from his shoulder, carefully extracting himself from the suddenly-octopus-like boy. With great care, he maneuvered Gray onto the cushions, pushing his side against the back of the booth to make sure he didn’t accidentally roll off.

Not that he cared or anything, the icicle was just a complete moron and would probably get a concussion falling on the ground. Or something.

As his fingers grazed the booth, he noticed the material of the cushions was scratchy and would _definitely_ leave marks on Gray’s face, what with the whole sleeping-on-his-stomach-like-an-oversized-baby thing he had going on. 

(Again, he didn’t care, he just didn’t want Gray ruining their intimidation tactics because he looked like a mess.)

Natsu raised Gray’s head and gingerly tucked the thick fabric under it like a pillow, sweeping strands of inky hair away from the ice mage’s face. Wisps of steam rose into the air like plumes of smoke as Natsu raked the thick black mane away from Gray’s cheeks and neck.

He told himself it was to keep him from sneezing and waking up before his grand escape. 

Gray immediately turned his head to bury it in the scarf with a pleased hum. He wound his arms around it and hugged it closer to his face, inhaling deeply. The ice mage snuggled further into the scarf as the hair Natsu had taken such care to brush back fell right over Gray’s face again. Pink dusted the tops of his cheeks and his pulse slowed down, indicating his descent into slumber.

Natsu felt his heart stop beating entirely.

 **_Cute Cute Cute_ ** , his dragon thundered raucously. And for once, he agreed with it. Gray just looked so... _open_ in his sleep. Like he _wasn't_ a massive prick.

\--And then he proceeded to panic because he _agreed_ with his dragon. His prideful, lustful, _possessive_ dragon.

The same dragon that was currently searching for Natsu’s _future mate_. 

It absolutely _could not_ get attached to Gray. The fact that it was even considering it was dangerous enough. It had never paid heed to other people like that, no matter how beautiful or handsome they were.

(He’d thought his dragon was broken when he’d seen both Sting and Mira completely naked and it didn’t give so much as a second thought. But who was he to go against his own magic? His very _being_?)

No, his dragon thinking Gray was cute was _not_ good. 

Needless to say, Natsu had quickly fled the compartment, pushing aside the bewilderment and fluster that began to set in. His feet wandered on autopilot toward the smell of food and what he could only guess was the snack car. He kept his mind blank and refused to process even a fragment of anything that had just happened. Everything went _directly_ into the most secluded corner of his mind where it couldn’t confuse him any more.

At least for the time being. 

Natsu just needed food. In him. _Now._

Sniffing the air, he found the muted scents of Wendy and the girls at a back table, where they slid computer lacrima around as they ate. Lucy had her back to him, but the other two were facing in his direction. 

It was obvious the moment they saw him. Wendy looked at him, raised her eyebrow, then snuck a quick thumbs-up over the tabletop. He winced at her attempt at subtlety. Erza glanced at him, glanced back down to her notes, then did the most impressive rubberneck he’d ever seen. Water went all over both her notes and Wendy’s as she spat it out in complete shock. 

Wendy’s face pulled taut before she flew into action, panic written all over her expression. She cast **_Sky Dragon: Wing Attack_ ** in her haste to clean up the mess and accidentally launched both her and Erza’s work across the room and out of the train window.

After _breaking_ the train window with her attack.

Wendy let out a startled cry and collapsed onto the table, arms outstretched in the direction of the lost paper. Even from his distance from the table, her miserable aura was palpable in the air. Erza just laughed and patted her head, before looking back at him and making eye contact. Her face was carefully neutral, and her once-over felt almost analytical. 

That’s when he realized: she was staring at his _neck,_ not making impaling his eyeballs with her steely gaze. He wondered why, but eventually decided he didn’t care. There’d been enough thinking on his part for the morning. Evening. _Day._

_Whatever._

He slung his arm around Lucy and plopped his head down on top of hers, looking down at the documents strewn haphazardly in front of her and vaguely noting that she smelled like lavender and champagne.

A fleeting thought of _Gray smells better_ crossed his mind. 

“What’s up, Luce?” He drawled, blowing a stray strand of hair away from his face. It stubbornly fell right back into place, and he huffed with as much annoyance as he could muster in his hungry state.

She abruptly turned, dislodging him. He fell forward into her vacated seat clumsily, which Erza raised a perfect eyebrow at.

Natsu blinked slowly, his mind functioning slower than usual as the sleepy haze refused to clear. It didn’t help that he was now disoriented, since he’d suddenly fallen into a table while half asleep. His cheek squished against the table, and he had such little energy that he just stayed there, eyes blank as he furiously tried to make heads or tails of what just happened. With Lucy, it was sometimes hard to tell if she’d been genuinely offended by him draping himself all over her or if she was just in a bad mood.

Lucy stood up, sweeping her things into a neat pile and gathering them into her arms.

“I’ll go look in the research car,” she ground out stiffly. Erza eyed her with suspicion, looking from her, to Natsu, and back again.

“Are you sure?” She questioned, gaze boring directly into Lucy’s soul. Though she said _are you_ _sure_ , it was clear that the intended meaning was _are you okay?_

Lucy merely smiled a tight-lipped smile, snuck a quick glance at Natsu, and hissed a very flat-sounding “I’m fine”, before rushing out of the car. The fog in Natsu’s mind started to dissipate, but it still wasn’t enough for him to fully understand the issue. He was trying, he really was. But she just made no _sense_ , even after all this time.

He frowned. _Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to disrespect her or anything by getting in her space...But she just said she was fine._ Did fine not mean what he thought it did? He was _told_ that fine meant everything was, well, _fine_. But clearly not.

Absolutely _nothing_ that had occurred from the moment he boarded the train to the moment Lucy stalked out made sense.

 _Nothing_.

“Is everyone on crack?” He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation and accidentally knocking a drink out of a waiter’s hands. Who didn’t seem to mind much, if the sultry up-down he got in response was anything to go by. Natsu acted oblivious to avoid having to think more than he already had to and looked at Erza. She usually had an answer. 

She took another bite of her cake, looking perplexed as she chewed. Whether she was confused by Natsu’s fed-up outburst, the waiter who'd fascinated themselves with Natsu, or by Lucy’s disappearance, she didn’t say.

“Lucy’s been working hard,” Wendy offered as a weak excuse. She looked guilty as she waved in the direction the blonde had stormed off in, though Natsu couldn’t fathom why. Erza nodded slowly, pensive eyes darting from Natsu, to the direction of their compartment, and back again.

"Yes,” she said speculatively. “I would guess she’s just a little upset that you and Gray got to sleep and she had to stay here working with us.”

“But she loves you guys,” he protested, frowning at the emphasis on _us_. “Luce wouldn’t be _mad_ about that.”

Erza and Wendy smiled at his attempt to reassure them. Though they both knew what the Requip mage had been hinting at, they couldn't just flat-out tell Natsu what the real reason was. That was something he'd have to put together on his own.

“I suppose you’re right,” Erza hummed, though Natsu had a suspicion that she was just saying it to placate him.

They ate in silence, Natsu only flagging down a waitress--who hovered around him enough for even the Maiden of the Sky to raise a brow--to order a slice of every kind of cake. 

Wendy, who knew Natsu better than the older girl ever could (they were fellow Dragonslayers, after all), gave him a meaningful look that he simply shrugged off. Although, it wasn’t as if Erza _didn’t_ know. Almost everyone on the team knew that Natsu only mass-consumed sweets when he was experiencing either a profound breakthrough that impressed even Laxus at times, or he was trying to box something that he couldn’t (but mostly _wouldn’t)_ understand. 

The girls shared a look.

With what they’d witnessed only hours before, it could very well be all of the above.

* * *

“Freedom!” Natsu roared, blasting a bright flame up into the air. Citizens of Davenport that were much too tired to deal with the hyperactive wizard just glanced away and ignored him. The team did nothing to stop him and merely laughed, glad to see Natsu back at his antics. 

Earlier, right after the Dragonslayer had finished eating every slice, his motion sickness had flooded back to him in waves. It made it hard for him to discern whether it was from binge-eating sweets or from the train. 

Erza had suggested he return to Gray’s side (for no reason, of course, just so that he wasn’t alone), but Natsu had immediately shot it down (for no reason, of course, just he didn’t feel like getting frozen by the stripper).

He’d responded faster than normal, which earned him a long look of suspicion from both girls present.

Gray was the last to leave the train. He rubbed his face as he yawned with Natsu’s scarf knotted around his waist as a make-shift belt, hair falling into his eyes and sticking up on the side Natsu had brushed it over on. Not that Natsu cared, or anything. He just wanted his scarf back and had to make sure the Ice Princess hadn’t lost it.

On second thought, he’d have to explain how his scarf ended up with Gray. Why his _precious_ scarf, the scarf he _never_ let out of his sight, the scarf he once _almost killed a Godslayer over_ ended up under his head as a pillow. With Natsu not in the compartment. Or even in the same car. 

_Yeah, fuck that._

Gray hadn’t lost it yet, so what was wrong with trusting him with it for a little longer? Plus, maybe the knowledge that Natsu would tear him limb from limb if he lost it would give him proper motivation to keep his pants on.

(He was tired of poor Wendy having to see Gray’s dick/ass/generally everything the angelic younger girl had no business being forced to look at. Could Natsu sue Gray for sexual harassment on Wendy’s behalf? He’d have to find out.)

Natsu turned away and started to bounce on his toes, feeling rejuvenated now that he was back on solid ground with his scarf nearby. Though he still had not a _clue_ about what was happening with the Gray incident(s?). He’d just shoved the gargantuan mess into the back corner of his mind and slapped it with a big label that read “deal with later”.

If Gray called him out on it, then so be it. 

He’d just play dumb.

“Aw, yeah!” He cheered, zipping in circles around Erza like a small child. She continued to lead the way out of the station with Lucy next to her, who flashed apologetic glances at the annoyed passerby and aggravated side-eyes at the energetic Dragonslayer. 

Gray rolled his eyes at the chaotic trio.

“Calm down, Pyro,” he teased, though he made no effort to conceal the affectionate look in his eyes, nor the fond undertone in his voice. Natsu being Natsu, did not notice a single thing. He was too giddy to rise to Gray’s jabs (and he was still avoiding him a little), so he looked at Erza with bright, expectant eyes.

“Alright,” she conceded. “Lucy, Wendy, and I discovered reports that indicate the guild disappeared into the woods by Davenport Town Library. Some citizens have a few suspicions that they stole some things from there, but I cannot imagine what it is a small town like this might possess that would garner a guild of that proportion’s interest. _Especially_ a library. We’ll head out to see if Natsu or Wendy can pick up a scent trail we can track.”

She looked over at the two Dragonslayers. “I’d prefer if _both_ of you picked up a scent. It’d be even better if you each located a different one, in case we have to split up. But if you can’t locate multiple, then one will suffice.”

Wendy and Natsu shared an excited glance. 

“Okay, Erza,” Wendy chirped. Natsu beamed, once again bouncing on his toes. He _loved_ tracking. It was something Dragonslayers and their dragons did to relax (read: _train_ ). It would be even more exciting because of the challenge! Picking up a scent trail without any prior sample of the scent was damn near impossible, but he'd figure it out.

They didn't use him as the Council's bloodhound for nothing. 

Gray and Lucy had fallen back to stand together, just watching the others. The ice mage looked faintly amused, but mostly bored. Natsu turned to tug him into a fight, still zipping in quick circles around Erza. He found things more fun when Gray was involved.

However, Erza had other plans. She clenched her jaw and snapped at him to _stop bouncing around you’re distracting me, settle_ down _and act like an adult for a change_ and he couldn’t help but laugh jovially.

“But Erza, I’m _not_ an adult _,”_ he quipped back with a cheerful giggle and a sparkle in his eyes.

The clunk of his head smashing into her armor registered before the pain did.

 _Worth it_ , he decided, despite the ache in his skull. Gray wasn’t bored anymore. He had grinned, and it surprised him with how the boy’s whole face lit up.

 _He raises his right eyebrow when he smiles like that_ , Natsu noted, before wrenching his gaze away and mentally slamming that completely irrelevant fact back into his box. He couldn’t afford to think about that, much less the mess on the train.

“Gray, Lucy, Natsu, Wendy,” Erza called. Natsu's attention bounced back to her, a smile unnaturally wide on his face. He had stopped jumping in place, so he began to resume his incessant movements by rocking back and forth on his heels as he waited for her to explain their plan.

“Now, Wendy and Lucy will circle the buildings near the library for any tracks or information. I will gather any information I can at the local tavern. Gray and Natsu,”

_So much for avoiding the stripper._

“You two will search the library for anything missing or out of the ordinary. I’d suggest Gray looks around for the details--stolen books, upturned or empty shelves, secret entrances. Natsu, use your Dragonslayer senses to locate any trails, concentrations of scents, things like that. I’ll admit, I’m not too sure about how you and Wendy track and use your magic.”

Erza concluded her speech and turned a harsh glare onto the two boys. Natsu let out a quiet _eep_ and Gray chuckled nervously.

“You two will _not_ split up. You two will _not_ fight. If I even _think_ I hear word of two Fairy Tail mages wrecking a library, or anything for that matter, I will _end you where you stand_. Have I made myself clear?”

Natsu slung his arm around Gray’s shoulders, pressing his cheek against the ice mage’s neck. Gray mimicked his movement, tugging the Dragonslayer close. He leaned his head on top of the Dragonslayer’s, and Natsu heard him draw in a long breath of air. The puff of air from his exhale ruffled Natsu's hair slightly.

The shorter boy stiffened.

 _Is Gray_ scenting _me?_ He wondered in complete bewilderment. In his sleep was one thing, in _person_ was another entirely. _The audacity of that blue-balled bitch._

Natsu glared at the long, pale line of the mage’s neck, unwillingly noticing how the moonlight almost seemed to make his skin glow. His dragon growled with anticipation, urging him to lick his way up the expanse of smooth, pale skin. To bite down, see if he _really_ tasted as delicious as he smelled and as good as he looked.

 _Stop it,_ he demanded. _Marking Gray’s_ throat _is completely different from him_ scenting _me. Chill out, you stupid reptile._

He doubted that his rival would be doing it so much in one day if he knew what it meant to Dragonslayers. The complexity of it, the implications. The level of _pure,_ _unadulterated_ _trust_ that scenting demonstrated. 

_Of course he wouldn’t know. Dumb icicle._

Well, if Gray could do it to him without understanding the implications, then so could he. 

Natsu turned to breathe in, his face still pressed to Gray’s neck. His dragon rumbled with barely-restrained excitement, pushing him closer, _closer_. Closer to that absolutely _delectable_ scent--

Until he went rigid in place, biting down on the inside of his cheeks. His dragon roared, thundering furiously at being stopped. After all, dragons didn’t take too kindly to being denied what they wanted, _especially_ when they believed they were powerful enough to take it. But his will was stronger than his Dragon instincts.

Though he was almost completely zoned out of the situation, his senses were still keen enough to pick up Erza’s voice as it hit a dangerously low octave. In one valuable second, his dragon warned him of _danger danger danger_ , granting him just enough time to lurch left and away from a sword launched at both him and Gray. 

Being suddenly snapped out of his instincts did nothing to help his lingering disorientation from the train. The floor and walls swam in circles, blurring together in splotchy blobs. Yeah, he was definitely going to fall. He was prepared. _Bring it, floor._

Luckily, his rival had been tugged along with him and was more.. _.aware_...of reality. He caught himself with his longer legs and locked his arms in place like an iron cage, preventing the fiery Dragonslayer from tumbling to the floor. 

Natsu would deny to the day he _died_ that he melted in that princess’ arms.

Gray just smelled so _good_. 

He didn’t mean to smell him, he really didn’t. But with the way the ice mage had completely folded him into his arms and curled him to his cold chest, it was inevitable. His face was pressed into Gray’s neck and hair, and even though he had cut himself off from getting a full breath, the damage was already done.

Natsu held his breath until Gray had pulled both of them upright again, only deeming it safe to breathe once he could draw back to rest against Gray’s shoulder instead. 

The drone of Erza’s voice faded in the background as Natsu once again withdrew into his head. 

Compared to the last time he’d smelled Gray’s scent, there were more notes of...what was that... _cypress wood?_ Cypress wood, cool wind, and the smell of freshly fallen snow. But specifically after a blizzard. 

Weirdly enough.

Erza turned away and gestured to a lantern-lit gravel path. “The library is that way and the rest of the town is in the direction I’m heading in. If an emergency happens, Natsu and Lucy are in charge of flares for their respective groups. It should be obvious, but I’ll go ahead and remind everyone.”

“Natsu’s group’s flares will be fire and/or various explosions, knowing him. Lucy’s group’s flares will be pure celestial magic. If Gray sends up a flare, look for a bunch of ice shards rocketing into the sky. If Wendy sends up a flare, you’ll know because there will most likely be a giant tornado. Which, let me remind you all, is why Gray and Wendy only shoot up flares in the event that their partner is incapacitated. Ice shards raining down that could impale anyone and an unprecedented tornado are not usually safe for citizens.”

Gray gave Natsu the stank eye as the Dragonslayer stuck his tongue out at him smugly. He dropped his left shoulder down and Natsu's head fell with it, before the ice mage leveled his posture again and jutted Natsu's head up. His neck popped and Gray shot him a look of alarm, which quickly changed when instead of seeing pain in Natsu's expression, he saw nothing but pure amusement.

Erza sent them a warning glare, just as Gray was about to use Natsu's arm around him as leverage to flip him onto the ground. She turned to walk towards the tavern. “Good luck everyone,” she called. "Natsu and Gray, I hope what almost just happened right now won't repeat itself once I leave."

Wendy and Lucy looked at each other, at Natsu and Gray, then back at each other again, coming to a wordless agreement to hurry down their road. Lucy began to laugh once she thought they were out of hearing range, though Natsu saw Wendy lightly smack her on the wrist as she reminded the Celestial Wizard of his heightened senses.

Once alone, the two rivals pulled apart and eyed each other warily. There was a note of something else in Gray’s eyes that Natsu couldn’t make out, and he squinted, leaning closer. His gaze bored into the ice mage’s as he scrutinized him. 

The Dragonslayer leaned in even more, to the point where he could see the silhouette of the train station and the moon reflected in Gray’s eyes. He was close enough to watch the black of his pupils take over the navy-blue irises as they began to rapidly dilate. It was fascinating, for some reason.

To his surprise, the ice mage took a step back. 

He took. A step. _Back_.

Natsu’s brain had trouble wrapping around it. The shock must have shown on his face, since Gray was immediately wandering off in the direction Erza had gestured in without a word, gesturing vaguely for Natsu to follow. 

The moonlight shone brightly, catching on the blackness of Gray’s hair. Each individual strand seemed to reflect the light. It gave him an almost ethereal glow, and Natsu tilted his head with curiosity, sharp eyes taking in the details.

“What, are you broken or something? Catch up, you Lazy Steambag,” Gray shouted back, turning his head just enough for Natsu to catch the smug smirk curling the edges of his lips. His eyes glinted and he turned, sauntering further down the road.

 _The_ audacity _of that Ice Princess!_

The Dragonslayer hurried to catch up until they were strolling side by side. It was strangely peaceful, walking with Gray. Maybe it was because he wasn't blabbing his mouth. Or maybe it was because the moon was high in the sky, and since they were in a small town the stars were bright and plentiful. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because Natsu could still smell the ice mage’s scent clinging to him like smoke. 

He breathed in, closing his eyes briefly. His hair tickled the bridge of his nose, and he ran a hand through it, absentmindedly using his magic to steam it in place. It was a temporary solution, as it would inevitably fall back into his face in an hour or two.

Once he opened his eyes again, Gray was studying him with an oddly intense look on his face. He was thinking about something important, Natsu could tell. Whenever Gray would think about important things, he would chew on the inside of his cheeks. 

Also, his eyebrows would pinch together.

He had a strange urge to run his thumb through the space in between his dark eyebrows, just to smooth out the skin. He’d get wrinkles or something. (Lucy liked to complain about it whenever she noticed Natsu doing it.)

Before he had a chance to figure out why that particular thought had popped into his head, Gray broke the silence.

“For someone who makes as much of a mess as you do,” he drawled. Natsu scrunched his face up in offense. “--Your hair is really smooth. I thought you used gel or hairspray to get it to spike up and hold, but it’s way too soft for that.”

_Oh shit, he’s thinking about what happened on the train, isn’t he?_

In a moment of pure, _stupid_ , panic, Natsu blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 

“How do you know that?”

Gray’s eyebrows drew together even more, and the corners of his mouth pitched down into a frown. Small seeds of regret were starting to set in. “What do you mean, _how do I know that?_ ” 

At Natsu’s lack of response, his frown grew even deeper, bordering on a scowl. “You _do_ remember, don’t you?”

Natsu, being the complete and utter _dumbass_ that he was, panicked again and blurted out, “Remember what?”

The resulting silence was uncomfortable in comparison to the peace before. It weighed heavy on the Dragonslayer, suffocating him in thoughts of **_no no no, wrong wrong wrong_** coming from his dragon. 

~~And maybe himself.~~

He wasn’t stupid. Well, that was hard to say, considering how he just royally fucked up. But it counted for something, though, that he _recognized_ that he fucked up. At least, it counted for a _moment_.

Natsu found himself unable to look away from the hurt in Gray’s dark blue eyes. He knew it was the wrong thing to say. Why did he say it? He remembered. There was no reason to play dumb. Not this time, at least. 

_Not with each other._

Gray’s eyes hardened. With the flinty, stony glare in his eyes, Natsu almost convinced himself that he was an earth mage instead of an ice one. His usual internal jokes weren’t helping him feel any better, which only unsettled him even more. 

Gray curled his lip in a disdainful sneer, leaning back and drawing himself to full height. 

“You really are a dumbass, aren’t you?” he said brusquely. It lacked their usual teasing tone, and there was no doubt that the ice mage genuinely meant it. And that somehow pained him even more than the words themselves.

Gray spun around and stormed in the direction of the library, this time going fast enough that it was clear he didn’t want anything to do with the younger boy. As if it wasn’t clear enough by the rigid posture and clenched fists. And his eyes.

Natsu covered his face and groaned into his hands, dropping down to crouch lightly on the tips of his toes. Of course. _Of course_. Of course he had to mess it up, _just_ as they were getting better. _Just_ as they were starting to be closer. All because he couldn’t process something. 

In situations like these, he _really_ hated his deflection tactics.

In situations like these, he was reminded of why he needed to just shut his mouth and _think_ for once in his damn life.


	6. i may have anger issues but so does she, so does he, and so does--maybe we should all get therapy is that in the budget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray literally DOES NOT know how to communicate properly and honestly Natsu doesn't either. The girls decide to intervene, but not before Natsu commits arson and a little bit of geographical terrorism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to read the end notes! It's just a little easter egg thing I slapped into here. Also the character in this chapter isn't a permanent character, so for those of you who don't like OCs and stuff, don't worry about it. I don't really like them being in fics either, so I'm not adding one.
> 
> Also I am SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS 9,486 WORDS I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO CUT IT IN A WAY AND THE WAY I MEANT TO CUT IT ENDED UP WITH THIS CHAPTER ONLY HAVING 1,000 SOMETHING I AM SO SORRY--

The library looked like shit. Shit, shit, and then some more shit. Did he mention the shit yet? 

Gray hated it. Hated the dusty brown, decrepit planks of its exterior. Hated the Blue Forget-Me-Nots and Nigellas in full bloom in the flower bed. Hated how coincidental their appearance _here_ of all places was, and that he _immediately_ recognized them. Hated that he remembered Natsu jokingly bringing them to his infirmary bed after their return from the catastrophe known as Galuna Island (at least he _assumed_ they were a joke; Evergreen and Mirajane had started choking as soon as Natsu had given them to him).

But back to his crisis. Why in the fresh hell did he think that the flame-brained moron would remember the train incident? When had Natsu _ever_ remembered _anything?_ Or noticed anything even _remotely_ romantic? Hell, Gray had once seen the boy get hit on by a flock of both female and male models, only for him to walk away obliviously and excuse himself by saying he was hungry. 

That was a story for another day, and he shoved the memory away and replaced it with the broody question of _when did Natsu ever notice something important about_ Gray _?_

Oh, that’s right! Last time he checked, he _didn’t_ (Galuna didn’t count. It was definitely just because Natsu’s abnormal sense of pride wouldn't let him let Gray lose to his adoptive brother, Lyon).

Gray stalked up to the building’s entrance and reached out to open the heavy oak doors of the library. To his annoyance, the handle was jammed. He jimmied it with no small amount of irritation, finding that his patience was running out faster than usual.

He wasn’t in the mood for this shit. Not at all. And _definitely_ not with a certain pink-haired idiot catching up with him.

Gray raised his foot and sharply pivoted to the side. In one destructive movement (that had more force backing it than necessary), he kicked the doors in. They flew clean off the hinges with a loud crash that echoed around the empty area, but they were so heavy that they simply fell flat directly in front of the door frame like a weird pseudo-welcome-mat. 

Gray was well aware that he looked like a lunatic as he hopped up and down on one foot and cradled the other in pain. He threw his hands up in the air with a loud garble of curses and not a single clue as to what he was saying. But it wasn’t like he gave a fuck. He could’ve been yelling in fluent _Latin_ for all he knew and/or cared.

Gravel crunched behind him further up the trail, and he resisted the urge to turn around and find the source. Because he knew who made the noise. And he wanted nothing to do with him tonight. Or tomorrow. Maybe even in a week. Was a month pushing it? He’d have to find out. But he was pretty sure that if he pushed it any further than a month, he'd be locked in a room with Natsu.

Instead of pursuing that train of thought, the ice mage bustled into the empty library (and he absolutely did _not_ wobble and almost slip on the doors). He came to an abrupt stop as his eyes flitted around in wonder. The library’s interior was bright, clean, and new. Polished wood floors gleamed and reflected the candlelight from the ornate chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. The books were all neatly organized in what looked like the Fiore-Vermillion system (good, he didn’t know any other system), and there were no visible signs of any previous fighting. 

The contrast between the run-down exterior and the just plain _elegant_ interior was jarring, to say the least.

 _Great_. Finding a trail so that he would have an excuse to join the others and get away from Natsu was going to be harder than he thought.

The front doors shifted quietly on the floor behind him (as quietly as huge slabs of oak could, _seriously_ , did they just throw a few tree trunks together and call it a day?), and he felt the not-so-subtle incline in temperature as warm waves of heat rolled steadily throughout the library in an ocean of Natsu, carrying his strong fragrance along with it.

It was because of this that Gray didn’t even need to see Natsu slip into the building through his peripheral vision, or hear his weirdly light footsteps to know that he was there. The boy looked at him with a strangely conflicted look, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, before his gaze shuttered and he silently slipped away to disappear into the rows of tall shelves. 

He scoffed. _What a surprise, the loudmouth trainwreck can actually shut up for once._

Gray knew he was being dramatic. But honestly? _Sue him_. They had a _bonding_ moment. He cradled Natsu in his _arms._ You don’t just forget something like that!

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was extremely disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to witness Natsu melt into him without reserve again, or hold him close enough to feel his smooth skin, or feel his reassuring heat seep into his own cold body and chase away the bone-deep chill that clung to him everywhere he went. He would only be able to catch a whiff of Natsu’s unique fragrance in quick doses, not smell him around himself in a heady cloud of _Natsu_.

There were many things in life that the ice mage could deal with losing. He’d gotten used to the feeling of loss a long time ago. He’d had to. Almost all of them had. But to have such a tantalizing taste of what they _could_ have, then to have it ripped away from him for no reason other than the asshole _forgot_ …

Well, it was the whole reason he was so upset.

Gray stalked up and down the rows, carefully scrutinizing the books for anything dark-magic-y or missing. Rows one, two, three, and even four held nothing out of the ordinary, and a fleeting thought crossed his mind.

_Natsu would make this more fun. I wish he was over here._

Which he quickly swatted away. The whole point of their situation was that the Pyro was an _asshat_ that he wanted nothing to do with. So what if he was bored? He’d just deal with it. He survived without Natsu before, he’d survive without him now. 

He _was_ miserable before he met him, after Ur…

 _Shut up,_ he reprimanded himself. He refused to start missing Natsu and crawl back to him like some pathetic ex-boyfriend that wanted attention. That would just give the shorter boy the satisfaction of knowing Gray cared. Well, the confirmation, anyway.

Natsu ducked around the corner of Row Five, just as Gray fumbled and dropped several books on the ground with a string of angry curses. He glanced up, registering the pink hair and not caring enough to look at the rest. He already knew who it was.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear,” he swore under his breath, crouching to pick up the novels. Natsu laughed, leaning casually on another shelf, and Gray mentally cursed at how he forgot the boy could hear his mumbled comments.

“ _Somebody’s_ clumsy today, Stripper,” Natsu teased, though there was a tremor of hesitant hope hidden in his voice that Gray didn’t notice. _Couldn’t_ notice. He was too busy trying to stubbornly ignore how the husky rasp in Natsu’s voice seemed to turn every word that came out of his mouth into a seductive purr. 

He spun around, swiftly bringing himself to his feet as if he could avoid his thoughts by standing.

“And _somebody’s_ ,” he snarled, already knowing he was about to make a mistake, “a moronic trainwreck that can’t do anything but make half-assed jokes and cause destruction everywhere he goes today.” 

Natsu’s expression went slack with shock, an expression he next to _never_ managed to put on the shorter boy’s face. The sight of his widened eyes and mouth froze in a silent _oh_ sent a sick sense of satisfaction through him, prompting him to finish the uncalled-for insult, even as he raged at himself to get a grip and can it.

“Oh, _wait_ ,” he added, sickly sweet. The words slipped past his lips even as he tried to stop them. “That’s _every_ day. Can’t seem to get enough of causing people trouble, can you, _Natsu_?” He turned around to put the fallen books back in their places on the shelf, expecting some very loud, very dramatic response. When he didn’t hear anything from Natsu, he sent a covert glance his way.

The Dragonslayer just _stood_ there. He didn’t look angry and he didn’t look hurt. He didn’t look much of anything, come to think of it. Not even like himself. He was just _there_. A figure in the background. If it wasn't for his bright pink hair and navy clothes that contrasted against the warm brown of the wood, someone walking in might not have even noticed him. 

Natsu’s face twitched, a whirlwind of emotions flashing over it in a single moment ( _angerhurtregretguiltindignanceagreementguiltguiltGUILT)_ before all emotion was wiped away. He straightened from his spot leaning on a shelf, and Gray noticed that his bangs had fallen into his eyes again. He made no move to steam them out of the way. 

He just nodded with a stilted _okay_ , inhaled sharply, then twisted around in a jerky set of movements that betrayed the tenseness in his limbs and made him look like a muscular puppet.

Gray blinked, and he was gone. Not a sound, no knocked over books, no burned floors, nothing to indicate he was ever there. Even his spiced and smokey smell had vanished, which was even weirder. It must have had something to do with being a Dragonslayer, but Natsu’s smell _always_ lingered around anything he had been around or touched. Longer than a normal mage’s would, anyway.

Gray frowned, feeling a twinge of disappointment. That wasn’t the reaction he wanted. He wanted an over-the-top reaction, broken shelves, burning temperatures, rage in those stupid, _stupid_ exotic eyes. He wanted that warm and smokey fragrance to fill the air even more in his anger. He wanted Natsu to prove his point. He wanted a _fight_.

And...he hadn’t gotten one. For the first time in history, Natsu hadn’t risen to the bait. _It was pretty good bait, too,_ Gray lamented. 

For Natsu to just... _walk away_ like that, he must have genuinely been upset because of Gray's words. He felt the familiar choking sense of guilt. He knew that even though Natsu had hurt him, he was in the wrong for saying what he did and abandoning him. Especially since there may have been a dark guild in the area.

But he didn’t care.

~~He doesn't think he’s ever cared about something more.~~

The ice mage scowled at the floor and continued his search of the rows of shelves, stubbornly pushing aside the regretful guilt that wanted to settle in. He looked up and around for a clock and noticed that there was a second floor that overlooked the first one, with ornate railings surrounding the balconies and even more shelves.

 _I'm going to commit a felony,_ he decided.

It was going to be a long, long night. Especially since there was nobody with him to keep him entertained or help. Gods only knew what Natsu was up to, and if you asked Gray, he was probably just asleep somewhere or pouting in a corner and making a mess.

He was so busy finding ways to insult the boy in his mind ~~and ignore that he missed him~~ , that he didn’t even notice the bang of the heavy wooden doors as they were moved, or the temperature dropping back to what it was before the Dragonslayer ever came in.

* * *

Gray sighed loudly, lying limp over the banister of the second floor. He’d searched every damn shelf, every slightly suspicious-looking book, every nook, and every cranny. 

_Nothing_. Nada. Zilch and zup. Absolute waste of time. 

His only consolation was that, aside from the outburst on the first floor, he hadn’t run into Natsu. He hadn’t even _seen_ the moron, which was a blessing in itself. He didn’t know if he could restrain himself from giving the Dragonslayer a ~~hug~~ slap upside the head the next time he saw him by himself.

The doors opened (when had they been put back on the hinges?) and Erza walked through, looking critically at the inside of the library with furrowed brows. Lucy and Wendy trailed in after her, and they appeared as if they’d been dragged through three bushes. Lucy was still fussing over an unbothered Wendy’s hair, delicately pulling out twigs and leaves.

Gray smirked. _Someone should tell her to fix her own hair before Wendy’s. Wendy doesn’t even look like she cares, and Lucy looks like she took the whole damn bush with her._

He saw Wendy sniff the air lightly in a gesture that reminded him of Natsu. She paused, before sniffing again, and her face suddenly pinched up in concern. She spun her head around quickly enough for it to look painful as she sent a probing gaze around the first floor, a concentrated look hardening her features. Lucy squawked as the sudden movement made her lose the leaf that she was pulling out of Wendy's thick blue hair. 

Wendy’s posture was strangely stiff and he recognized her stance as the one she took before a fight. Her fists lifted lightly at her sides and her feet shifted apart for better balance, locking her body down in a technique imitating Natsu’s own. Gray wouldn't doubt it if someone told him that Natsu was the one to teach her that, though there was definitely a hovering edge to it that came from Wendy.

Erza noticed him on the second floor as he watched them. She raised her hand in greeting.

“Gray,” she called up to him. Her voice echoed in warped tones around the library, and she paused with a suspicious look before repeating herself. “Gray, did you and Natsu find anything?”

“No,” he responded curtly. “That moron disappeared, probably went to go eat or something.”

Erza frowned. "Gray, Vaixell might still be around. There was a reason I put you all in pairs. I'll have to give him a stern talking-to when we find him-"

“I _knew_ it,” Wendy exclaimed tersely. “I _knew_ something happened. I can smell it. His scent is so... _wrong_.”

Gray frowned. _I didn't think he cared that much. Did he actually leave? And what does she mean his scent’s all wrong?_

“What do you mean, _his scent is wrong_?” Erza and Lucy echoed his thoughts in unison. Wendy narrowed her eyes up at Gray, fists clenching as she eyed him up and down. Her body almost looked like it was vibrating from her anger, which was unsettling, to say the least.

“The vanilla is way too sweet. There's too much smoke, but not enough pine. The cinnamon," she sniffed the air again, "the cinnamon isn't even _there._ ”

The other three mages looked at each other in confusion. 

“...Um, _vanilla_ ?” Lucy piped up. “What does vanilla have to do with anything? And _pine_? I don’t think Natsu’s ever been to a pine forest a day in his life." She tilted her head in consideration. "The smoke makes sense, though.”

Wendy threw her hands up in mild exasperation. 

“He’s upset!” She exclaimed. “I’m not explaining how it works right now, but _you_ ,” she jabbed an angry finger in Gray’s direction, “you _inconsiderate emo_ ,” everyone’s eyes went wide at the insult she hissed out. Nobody had any idea what Gray had done to make her so angry, or why she was so defensive about Natsu just because he was upset. 

“You hurt his feelings!”

Ah. So that was why.

Lucy reached out and patted the Maiden of the Sky’s shoulder placatingly. “I’m sure Gray didn’t hurt his feelings. Those two insult each other all the time, and he never takes it seriously. Gray even tried to _kill_ him and threw him off a cliff! He didn't hold a grudge over any of that, so I'm sure he's not mad now. Plus, it doesn't look like they had a fight in here.”

 _When she puts it like that, I sound like a monstrous dick,_ Gray thought indignantly. Though he had to admit, it was a little funny when bluntly listed out like that.

“Not this time,” Wendy snapped with irritation. She glared up at the ice mage with blatant disappointment, which confused him. He and Natsu always fought, and they didn't even break anything this time, so he had no idea why this fight was different.

“You went overboard," the Sky Dragonslayer berated him. "You said something to upset him, and with the way his scent is skewed, I’d say you said _multiple_ things that hurt him.”

There was a silent pause, one that nobody knew how to fill. Erza looked like she was coming to some conclusions and Lucy just looked confused and uncomfortable as she thought.

“He didn’t even fight you, did he?” Wendy asked, though from her tired tone it was clear that she already knew his answer. Gray hesitated before he slowly shook his head.

“No, for once the Pyro had some sense,” he sniped. At the matching glares sent his way from the Requip Mage and Maiden of the Sky, it wasn’t a well-thought-out move on his part. But hey, he was never good at holding back when Natsu was involved.

And wouldn't you know it; Erza threw a book at him! Glad to know that some things were consistent.

“You _moron!”_ She yelled, eyes piercing into his very soul with protective rage. “You two fight, sure, but you would think that that would make you understand what's wrong here! You _especially_ should know that he’s genuinely upset when he gets like this, but _no_ , you’re too absorbed in your own little battle that you can’t even muster up enough compassion to _back down_ and _apologize!”_

A rush of dignified anger filled him, and he glared back at the oldest girl with flinty eyes. “Funny how everyone immediately takes _his_ side without even asking what he did to me! Where’s the justice in that?”

Erza and Lucy shared a look (Wendy didn’t even face him; it was obvious she had made up her mind and was sticking with it), before the Requip mage turned around with a reluctant sigh and nodded her head respectfully. 

“My apologies, Gray, you are right. We should hear your side before punishing you. Natsu is known for his quick temper and outbursts.” 

He flinched as he realized that that simple fact made it even more obvious that he should've known the boy was upset, before composing himself and maintaining his carefully blank exterior. 

“I, uh," he stumbled over his words. "He, uh, he forgot. Something. Important. Yep.” 

All three girls had matching looks of confusion, even Wendy, who had been pretending to not listen to his explanation. Lucy waved her hand in a _go on_ gesture.

“Gray, we’re going to need more than _something_ to not yell at you,” she said sternly, though her intelligent eyes seemed to be analyzing him. The Celestial Wizard appeared calculating as she put some things together in her mind.

Gray shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking before she put together something that he didn’t want her to. “Look, something important to us-- _me_ happened earlier, and I thought he cared and it meant something. He didn’t, he’s an ignorant moron, end of story. He should be apologizing. Not me.” He paused, deliberating. "Oh, wait, don't make him apologize to me. That's even worse."

Erza opened her mouth to speak, when she was cut off by Wendy once again throwing her arms up in exasperation as a breeze began to circulate around the library. She opened her mouth to rip him a new one, and he braced himself for the uncharacteristic anger that she could, and looked like she _would,_ release.

Then orange light burst from outside the library windows, bright enough that he had to blink spots away from his vision and was blinded for a moment. He shook his head in surprise. It was rare that that happened since he had been fighting alongside Natsu's bright flames for so long. Gray rubbed at his eyes and just chalked it up to being caught off-guard.

Wendy stopped short, before shooting a quick glare at Gray as if it was _his_ fault that the light almost blinded everyone, and zipped out the library doors without a single word.

“Wendy, hold up!” Lucy shouted, turning to run after her. A few stray twigs fell to the floor. Erza sighed and looked up at him, glancing him over to make sure he was alright.

“We will continue this later,” she said tiredly, before gesturing for him to follow as she also ran out the doors (he _still_ didn’t know how they were back on the hinges). He hung his head, thumping it lightly on the banister. He had recognized that light, and he knew everyone else did too.

Natsu was fighting, and with nobody with him he _definitely_ wouldn’t send up the flare, even if he was on Death’s door. _Stubborn flame ball._

If the others found Natsu (and they would with Wendy there and the fact that fire is _really_ easy to see at night), the two would inevitably be forced to talk out their issues. And there were no guarantees that anything said would be genuine, either, with Erza and an unusually rageful Wendy there. And that was worse than Natsu hating him and him hating Natsu.

“Dammit!” He shouted, whirling and launching a book at a wall, before he turned and leaped off the banister to follow the others.

Once he got outside, any doubts he had of finding Natsu were eradicated. Fire beamed brightly through the tree trunks and over the canopy, and as he ran and caught up with the others, he almost swore he saw a body fly up before Natsu jumped and punched it back to the forest floor with a loud _crash_.

After a burst of speed, he caught up with the others. They kept running, dodging fallen trees and broken bushes, leaping over ditches and tree roots with the practiced grace of teenagers that got into way too many fights. There was a clear path of carnage carved out, with cracks punched into trees and scorch marks on the grass and trunks. Despite his anger at the Dragonslayer, he found himself desperately hoping that he was okay and just kicking major ass and going overboard as usual.

He slammed into Erza's armored back, quickly shifting to the side as she shot him a silent glance of admonishment. She tapped his arm lightly in a silent order to _stay where you are and let him continue_ , before turning back to face whatever it was that stopped her and the others. He quickly looked around to gauge the situation, before blanching at the mess.

Natsu was going on a rampage, that much was obvious. 

He was fighting in a crater, with bodies littering both the new geographical feature and the perimeter of the indentation. The bushes that surrounded the crater would light on fire, burning for a few moments before snuffing themselves out again, the pattern following every sweep and arc of Natsu's kicks. 

The mage in front of Natsu spun in a circle to avoid the stream of fire from the Dragonslayer's kick, before pulling herself into a position he recognized as Maker magic. He raised a brow in surprise as red ice shot out of the ground at speeds a normal person wouldn’t easily be able to process, much less defend against.

And Natsu...didn’t defend at all? He merely turned and ran horizontally, flipping gracefully and cutting it close more than a few times, before he stopped and braced his feet against the ground in the same stance Wendy had taken earlier, which confirmed Gray's suspicion that he had taught her it. It was more natural when he did it, and it lacked the hovering form of the younger girl. It was replaced by coiled tension, though he still managed to keep his entire body loose and nimble.

 _What the hell is he doing?_ Gray thought incredulously, glancing between the stable stance Natsu had taken and the wizard shifting into another Maker position. _He’s going to get hit! She’s powerful...you shouldn’t be goofing off, idiot!_

 **_“Ice-Make: Barrage!”_ **The wizard bellowed. Wave after wave of dagger-like ice launched at Natsu, living up to the spell’s name. There was no possible way to dodge an attack like that, even with his inhumane speed and strength. It would only take one shard to put the Dragonslayer out of commission.

Natsu raised his arm up and to the right and straightened his hand, before slicing his arm in a diagonal left-down motion. A brilliant wall of flames followed his command, the heat melting the ice before the two magical forces even came into contact. The woman screamed, and steam obscured the fight for a moment. Gray strained to make out the figures. For some reason, he got the feeling that Natsu was showing off. Or was he making a point? It was one of those.

The steam abruptly cleared, which Gray decided was due to Natsu manipulating the heat in the air to push it upwards. Gray could now see that the woman was knocked out on the ground, twitching even though she was unconscious. Several other mages behind her were also down for the count, and it suddenly clicked in his head why Natsu ran instead of blocking her spell.

Natsu had spotted the other wizards, and instead of wasting time and energy (but mostly time; it didn't look like these wizards were any problem at all for the younger boy) defeating all of them individually, he had maneuvered into a spot where he could wipe all of them out in one attack.

 _Smart,_ Gray grudgingly admitted. He was still a moron, but that move was smart. Though, that was a typical scenario with Natsu. In battle, he could almost be considered a genius. His mind seemed to work at speeds even Levy couldn't keep up with, to the point where he and Mavis had unknowingly created the same plan that nobody else had thought of. But in day to day life? Well, Gray had never met anyone stupider.

Natsu straightened up as he dusted off his pants. His face was eerily devoid of emotion, save for the scowl lingering on his downturned lips. It was weird since Natsu always had some post-battle high or something after winning a fight. And considering the thirty-or-so bodies scattered throughout the clearing, he _definitely_ won. 

Gray accidentally cracked a twig underneath his foot as he shifted in place, and the Dragonslayer’s head snapped around to level Gray with an intense gaze that the ice mage could almost feel burning into his soul. He relaxed as he recognized the ice mage, a faint look of relief crossing his expression, before he once against wiped himself of all emotion. Now that Gray had witnessed Wendy’s tirade in the library, it was easier for him to see that Natsu was, in fact, upset by his words.

 _Good,_ he thought with smug satisfaction ~~and maybe a little guilt~~. 

Another wizard that was stupid enough to try and sneak up on the Dragonslayer that just _decimated_ their group launched an attack. Like a moron. A flaming sword was thrust straight for Natsu’s back, and Gray knew he wouldn’t spin around in time to intercept it. He opened his mouth to shout a warning, raising his hands to shoot ice at the attacker, but the impact never happened.

The sword _bounced off_ of Natsu. Everyone present, including the poor soul who attempted the murder, blanched at the weapon buried into the tree across the crater that was only _moderately_ burned. Natsu just sighed.

“Fire? Really?” he scolded, lighting a small flame in his palm to prove a point. He then backhanded him without a second thought. The man flew into a tree with a resounding _crack_ that filled the silence of the clearing. Gray saw Lucy wince in sympathy next to him, whispering a quiet _ouch_.

The man groaned, and Natsu crouched down next to him, balancing perfectly on the tips of his toes. He tilted his head and leaned in close, wild pink hair obscuring their faces. It looked like they were about to kiss, and a vicious _something_ tugged at Gray’s heart that almost had him physically stumbling forward.

“So you're the guys sent by Vaixell,” Natsu said. It was more of a statement than a question, one that he had no idea how the boy had reached the conclusion of so quickly.

The mage scoffed weakly, turning his head away in defiance. Natsu suddenly reached out and grabbed his chin, jerking his face up and to the side to make eye contact.

“Oh, but I think you’re going to answer me,” he cooed dangerously. Gray and Erza looked at each other with shocked looks, having never witnessed Natsu intimidating someone after battle because, face it, Natsu had the tendency to fight first, ask questions later. And then go overboard and knock the person out.

The man gulped and looked away. Gray could tell by his expression alone that he either had or was about to piss his pants. “No, dude, I can’t.”

“Wrong answer,” Natsu snarled. “Maybe I’ll just kill you here and now for kidnapping an innocent girl and helping a dangerous dark guild move underground.”

The man feebly raised his hands in defense, and even from their distance, Gray could see they were trembling in fear. Natsu's huge rampage suddenly made perfect sense. The Dragonslayer had a tendency to assume the big brother role with any kind that he met, and along with the role came the feeling that Natsu had to protect them and their honor.

“No, man, I swear,” the man babbled. “They just wanted me to take her for a ransom, that’s it, man! Please don’t hurt me!”

Natsu stood up, dragging the mage up by the throat with his back pushed into the tree trunk. “ _Really?_ ” He growled gutturally, tightening his hold when the older man nodded frantically. “Then explain why she has bruises all over her body when she’s just a _kid_. She has no magic whatsoever. You just kidnapped an innocent kid, _man_.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the man sobbed out, thrashing to no avail. Despite the fact that he had a good 5 inches and 50 pounds on Natsu, he was no match for the angry Dragonslayer.

Natsu sighed. “Mhm, sure dude. Now, _where is Vaixell.”_ His tone made it clear he was done asking, and he’d pronounced Vaixell with a strange slur of the letters. Coming from his mouth, it slipped out like velvet and rumbled like a purr. What was even stranger was that Gray found his mind straying to wonder if Natsu's voice would sound like that in bed and _\--stop it._

“I don’t know, I swear, I promise!” The man screamed, clawing violently at Natsu’s steaming hand. Even with all his strength, he only managed to scratch the thick skin. “They just gave me the girl and told me to take her with me and my men and that it would throw anyone looking for them off their trail! Please don’t hurt me, man, I got a wife! I have to follow orders or they’ll kill her!”

Natsu stilled for a moment. _Please don’t tell me the flame-brained bitch believes him_ , Gray thought incredulously. That wife story did _not_ check out. The man didn't have a ring, and judging by his clothes, he had the money to afford one.

The shorter boy clearly agreed, turning and slamming the man down violently on the ground. He grinned dangerously down at his unconscious body, before walking directly over him in the direction of a tree that had somehow managed to not have a single burn mark on it.

He looked up at the branches, and all of the threatening aura melted away from his body. The temperature in the air dropped as he calmed down, until it was a soothing temperature. Gray could still sense Natsu’s magic, so he guessed the actual weather was around 10 degrees cooler.

“Hey,” Natsu called out gently, voice _still_ rumbling in that velvety tone. “It’s alright, you can come down now. My teammates and," he shot a glance at Gray that was filled with goading playfulness, "that other moron are here now. Nobody’s going to hurt you.” 

_Moron my_ ass _, Pyro!_ Gray thought affrontingly.

“Um...mister?” A small, feminine voice asked hesitantly through the branches. The voice sounded young, and Gray immediately shot a deadly glance at the man Natsu had interrogated. He moved forward, but Erza thrust an arm out in front of him in a silent order to remain in his spot and let Natsu continue whatever he was doing and to trust that he'd already knocked him out.

Natsu hummed. “What’s up?” Silence answered him and he opened his arms, smiling warmly up at the tree with a hint of the playfulness he'd shown Gray. “Need some help getting down?”

“...Will you catch me?”

“Will you jump?” Natsu countered with amusement. He gestured with a teasing smirk on his lips and open arms.

The girl huffed quietly in what almost sounded like a laugh, before dropping straight out of the tree in a blur of white with a terrified scream. She landed in Natsu’s arms without even a stumble from the salmon-haired boy, who just shifted his arms to draw her closer to his chest. 

“See, I’m super strong,” he boasted. _That_ got her to laugh, though it was still quiet. He turned to the others and walked steadily over, cradling her close to his chest with the solid muscle of his arms as a steady barrier. Gray’s eyes roamed over him, taking in the torn sleeve of his coat and the protective curl of his hold, along with the small, but almost concerningly deep, cut on his cheekbone.

“Wow, you’re so pretty!” The girl gushed as soon as Natsu had reached the others. She made gooey eyes at Lucy, who just blushed and opened her mouth to respond as Natsu laughed.

“I know, right?” He agreed. Gray’s heart lurched, and not in a good way. He felt the same ugly feeling tug at his heart uncomfortably, making it hard for him to shake off the tension in his shoulders. Natsu continued, “She’s just like a princess!”

The little girl curled closer to Natsu. “Yeah, she is!” She chirped, cheering up at the fact that the Dragonslayer hadn’t made fun of her for her comment. Lucy blushed even more and shifted awkwardly. 

“Aw, you’re so much cuter though!” She gushed. “Your hair’s so white!” 

The girl leaned against Natsu more, shrinking into his hold. “...You don’t think I look weird? The other kids say I look old. They say I look like a grandma.”

Lucy blanched, looking genuinely offended on the little girl's behalf. “Are you kidding me? They’re just jealous. I think it looks elegant. And it matches with your grey eyes! That's really cool.”

The girl beamed happily, revealing a gap in her front teeth. “Really? You’re pretty _and_ nice!" She turned up to face Natsu with sparkly eyes, tugging on his scarf to get his attention (not that she didn't already have it). "Mister, you were right, she’s _just_ like a princess!”

Natsu laughed. “I’m not _that_ old. My name’s Natsu, what’s yours?” 

“Gracie.”

“Well, Gracie,” he rumbled good-naturedly. She interrupted him with a fascinated look in her eyes.

“I like it when you talk,” she declared. The remark seemed to catch him off-guard, and his voice died in his throat. The group was silent, looking at Gracie with questioning eyes.

“I...huh? Nobody says that,” Natsu joked, though if Gray had gotten his head out of his ass for two seconds he would have noticed the slightly sad undertone and glance in his direction. Gracie definitely did, as did Wendy, if the matching quick glares in his direction had anything to say about it.

“Well, I say that!” Gracie insisted, looking up at him with big, earnest eyes and tugging more on his scarf. Gray absently wondered if she would accidentally start choking Natsu if she yanked too much.

“When you talk I can feel your voice vibrating in your chest!" She persisted. "And when you’re happy you make this rumbly noise in your throat!”

Natsu blinked. Once. Twice. He suddenly blushed, averting his eyes as the tips of his eyes turned red. “I do _not_ ,” he protested flusteredly.

“Yes, you do!”

“ _No_ , I don’t!”

“You do!”

“I don’t!”

“Do!”

“Don’t!”

_“Do!”_

_“Don’t!”_

_“D-!”_

_“Okay!”_ Erza interrupted loudly, clapping her hands together with a faint _clank_ from her armor. Though she was smiling, Gray noticed her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Gray knew she loved kids, though, so the annoyance was definitely directed towards Natsu.

“Oh, so you _purr_?” Lucy teased, wiggling her eyebrows at the flushed Dragonslayer. He squawked indignantly and started to protest, but Gracie suddenly straightened in his arms and put her ear to his neck. 

“He does!” She squealed after a moment of contemplation. Natsu blanched, before squeezing her tightly in his embrace to shut her up, burying her face in his scarf as she giggled maniacally. He looked determined to suffocate her as retribution for his embarrassment.

 _He does_ what _?_ Gray thought incredulously. No matter how angry he was, he couldn’t help but find that idea adorable. He kind of wanted to hear it, though he knew he shouldn't. And he _definitely_ shouldn’t have felt jealous of a little girl that was just _kidnapped_ for being able to.

“Gracie something something,” Natsu threatened, not knowing her full name. “I will drop you _right this instant_ if you don’t take that back!” 

Gracie grinned toothily. “No, you won’t!” She retorted. “You’re too nice, Mister Natsu!”

Surprisingly, the offhand compliment had rendered the boy speechless. He opened and closed his mouth for a few moments like a stupid-looking fish, letting out a string of random syllables that he couldn't seem to put together to make words.

“Where do you live?” Erza inquired, saving Natsu from using his pea-sized brain to come up with something. Gracie shrugged (as much as she could when Natsu was trying to squeeze her to death).

“I was in a library. It had really pretty lights! They were all fancy.” 

Gray and Erza shared a look. _Davenport._

“Well, Gracie,” Erza said gently, a friendly smile lifting the corners of her lips. “Natsu and this young man next to me were just there. I’m sure they could take you back.”

Natsu’s posture suddenly stiffened. Gray saw Wendy’s ear twitch in a weirdly animal-like movement at the same time Gracie tilted her head up to look up at him in concern.

“What’s wrong, Mister Natsu?” She asked with a frown. “You stopped purring.” 

_Well, that explains Wendy._ Gray thought absentmindedly. He forced himself to ignore the hurt that panged through him as he realized he was the reason Natsu stopped purring.

The Dragonslayer huffed, though it sounded more like a wheeze in the group’s uncomfortable silence. “I thought I told you,” he said in a strained voice. “ _I don’t purr_.” 

Gracie looked up at him with a thoughtful look that seemed more mature than other 6-year-olds. “Can Mister Natsu take me back?” She asked after a bit, and nobody missed how she didn’t include Gray in the question. 

Erza nodded slowly. “I, uh,” she stammered. Gray shot an incredulous glance at her as she stumbled over her words. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, no, _yes_ , Natsu can take you back.”

Natsu grunted in affirmation, glancing down at the small girl in his arms with an awed look. She just smiled at him cheerfully, which prompted a barked out laugh on his part, full of surprise and fondness.

“Alright, kiddo,” he began. Gracie cut him off.

“I thought you said you weren’t that old!” She whined, tugging at his scarf again. Natsu blew air in her face, and she squawked indignantly and rubbed her face, grumbling something about _your breath is hot do you have a fever am_ I _going to get a fever now I'll be upset if you give me a fever I don't care if you're funny and nice_.

“Well I also said I don’t purr, and since you didn’t listen to that, I’m just going to ignore that you listened to this!” He declared, hoisting her up so that her side rested on his shoulders instead of his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and settled into his warmth, still gripping his scarf.

“You’re purring now, so that’s what matters,” she stated matter-of-factly, a pleased look on her face. Natsu pinched her arm with a fake-annoyed huff and promptly took off into the forest, taking the heat with him. Wendy turned to Erza.

“I’m going with him,” she said. It wasn't a question, but she still waited for the Requip Mage's nod of approval as Erza looked at her, looked at Gray for some reason, then back at her. 

“Go ahead. Make sure Natsu doesn’t just leave her at the library. Make sure he finds her caretakers.”

Wendy scoffed daintily, much to everyone’s surprise. “You all act like he’s stupid,” she chided, before spinning to go after the boy in question at a full sprint. Within seconds, the woods had swallowed her up in their shadows, and the faint breeze that had been circling the clearing dissipated.

“What was that about?” Lucy burst out, as if she’d been holding in the question ever since the library incident. She looked at Gray with something he couldn’t decipher swimming in her brown eyes. “And what _happened_ between you two?”

Gray shrugged and wandered off to investigate the unconscious bodies as a distraction. Various burns and bruises covered them, though he noted that none of them were anything more than inconveniences. Natsu hadn't seriously injured any of them. 

Lucy sighed at being brushed off. It was resigned, like she knew it was going to happen and had already accepted the lack of response. She plopped down on the ground and summoned Father Crux. The sound of the old celestial’s snoring and the blonde’s questions faded into the background as Gray continued his methodical investigation of the bodies. He rolled each mage over and checked their pockets for anything that could be used to track the guild, stubbornly ignoring the feeling of Erza’s eyes following him around the clearing. After what felt like forever, he turned around and sent her an unamused look.

“Spit it out, Erza,” he demanded. She frowned.

“I know you know that you don’t have to search them,” she said. “Natsu and Wendy can pick up the scent from their bodies. We don’t need anything they have.”

Gray shrugged. “Who says they’re from Vaixell?" He asked, resolutely avoiding the little voice in his head that whispered _Natsu says it better_ and supplied his mind with memories of the name rolling smoothly off the Dragonslayer's tongue. "There’s nothing wrong with checking to make sure we don’t end up following a group that isn’t even from the guild.”

“Natsu knows it’s them,” Erza said. Her tone was so sure of the loud-mouthed boy that Gray couldn’t stop himself from raising a brow. 

“And how, exactly, does that idiot know this?”

Erza glared at him. “Whatever is going on between you two,” she hissed lowly, “it needs to stop. We can’t have two of our strongest members, one of which is our _best tracker,_ fighting while we’re tracking down a _powerful dark guild_. This... _issue_ between the two of you is just going to get someone hurt, and I’m not just talking about Natsu's feelings here.”

Gray raised his eyebrow again and retorted in a snide tone, “Look, the flame brain does his thing, I do mine. This--and it’s _not_ an issue, by the way, it’s not even a _‘this’_ \--isn’t going to get anyone hurt. And if he gets hurt, he just needs to suck it up and get stronger because that means I'm better than him and we both know we can't have _that_.”

The Requip mage shot him a dark look. “I’m _talking_ about _you_ , Gray.”

_What?_

“What?” He blurted out.

“Gray,” Erza sighed in exasperation, looking around the clearing warily to make sure the Dragonslayers weren't back yet. “We were all there for what happened on the train. We all saw. And I’m not exactly _stupid_. Neither is Wendy or Lucy. And I’m guessing that Wendy knows something that the rest of us don’t, given her behavior today.”

“You saw _what?"_ Gray panicked, whirling around to meet her eyes with an alarmed look in his own. The corner of her mouth tilted up in a small, pleased smirk. 

“Yes, Gray,” she confirmed, eyes glittering. “We all saw you and Natsu cuddling in your sleep.” A weird expression settled over her face. “You two are _quite_ adorable, might I add. He really clings to you in his sleep, doesn't he?”

Gray scowled, his ears now a bright red. “I--we-- _Erza--_ we didn’t--!”

Of course ( _curse_ Natsu with his _impeccable_ timing), Natsu decided that _that_ moment was the moment he was going to burst into the clearing with Wendy on his tail. He ran straight into Lucy, who let out a startled scream as his momentum brought both of them to the ground. Natsu lay sprawled under the Celestial wizard, groaning incoherently.

“Oi, Luce,” he choked out. “When did you get so heavy?”

Lucy blanched, before quickly standing up, just to peevishly jump onto the Dragonslayer again. He let out a strained _oof_ and pounded his fist against the forest floor as Lucy yanked his head up by the hair.

“You gonna take that back, flame brain?” She threatened. Natsu smirked smugly. 

“Aw, you know how I like my hair pulled,” he purred seductively, voice deep and gravelly. Lucy turned bright red and launched herself off of him with a squeak, before blustering about like the flustered teenager she was. Natsu just rolled over onto his back and started laughing as small twigs near him burst into flames, which just prompted Lucy to blabber even more.

Erza raised her eyebrows and turned to Gray. “It makes me so happy that _he’s_ the one you decided to fall in love with,” she said seriously, though the ice mage could see the laughter she was struggling to hold back. 

“Shut the hell up,” he grunted. “I didn’t fall in love with that idiot. I don’t even want anything to do with him.”

“Mhm.”

“Erza!” He whined, burying his face in his hands. He could feel the flush on his cheeks burning bright, and he pivoted so that Natsu wouldn't be able to see what his hands couldn't cover. Namely, his ears. They were definitely on fire. Natsu had spontaneously lit them on fire like the weeds next to him and Lucy, and he was going to lose his ears and go deaf for all eternity. This was it. He was done for.

"Stop being so dramatic," Erza chided him, though he could see her eyes glittering with mirth. "Your ears are not on fire and you are not going to go deaf for all eternity."

"Oh great," he grumbled. "I said that out loud. I'm even turning into the flame brain. Can't keep my mouth shut now."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted in offense from the other end of the clearing. Gray silently cursed as he, yet again, forgot that the shorter boy could hear _much_ farther than the rest of them.

"Fuck off!" He yelled, the bite in his voice still genuine as he remembered that Natsu had forgotten their bonding moment. Yes, he was still hung up on that. Fucking sue him.

Natsu stopped laughing and sat up, leveling a frustrated glare at the ice mage. He opened his mouth to snap something back, and Gray tensed up in anticipation. _Finally_. He was going to get that fight.

"Okay, now that everyone is here," Erza began, pointedly turning towards the girls to ignore the dual glares suddenly directed at her. "We should start tracking them. Since word of Gracie's disappearance hadn't gotten around town yet, I think it's safe to assume she was either taken today or yesterday. Which means that Vaixell can't have gotten far."

She turned to Natsu, who's glare had subsided at the mention of tracking. If anything, he'd done a complete 180, eyes big and almost sparkling in the moonlight. Wendy had the same look next to him. _Do they get a high off tracking or something?_ Gray wondered dubiously.

"So, which one of you has a better sense of their scents?" Erza inquired. Wendy and Natsu exchanged a look, and Wendy nodded and stepped back a step.

"Natsu does," she responded. Natsu sent a sharp look in her direction and opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off, though not unkindly. 

"Natsu," she persuaded, "you just fought an entire group of mages that worked for them. And this isn't a wound to my pride, by the way, so you can stop worrying. You have stronger senses than I do, so use them. I'll bring up the back to see if it branches off."

The boy nodded reluctantly, before the elated glint came back to his eyes as he darted off in a random direction that steered them even further into the dark forest. Everyone scrambled to catch up, gathering in a group behind him as he started and stopped, sniffing the air before repeating the actions again in random intervals.

With Natsu focused on tracking, the group was quieter than usual. Lucy and Erza were idly chatting off to the side, and Wendy was walking alongside Gray. She didn't say anything, just sent what she thought were discreet glances at him every 10 seconds. Had it been anyone else, Gray would have already yelled at them for it. As it was, Wendy was already mad and he didn't like the sweet girl being mad at him. It kind of made him want to cry.

There were strange noises in the woods. Every now and then, a branch would crack or the birds would stop chirping, and Natsu's head would snap around with eyes open wide and face eerily blank. One tuft of hair rested against the bridge of his nose, and Gray had to fight to remind himself that he was still mad and definitely _didn't_ want to brush it out of his face.

By what felt like the 7th hour, but was really the 2nd, the group had grown tired and crabby. They were tired of jumping at every noise, tired of starting and stopping in the unpredictable pace of Natsu, tired because when he _wasn't_ stopped, Natsu strode quickly through the rough terrain, and just plain _tired_. The silence didn't help, but it was only once their main source of chatter wasn't speaking that the quiet turned heavy and almost suffocating.

"Natsu," Lucy whined, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Natsu," she repeated. "Can we stop yet? My feet hurt and I think we're all about to pass out."

Natsu paused, turning his blank eyes over to the Celestial Wizard and blinking several times to jolt himself back into focus. He shook his head slightly and sniffed the air. After a pause where everyone waited with bated breath to find out if they could finally _sleep_ , Natsu scowled and spun around to fully face them, though he kept his eyes flitting around the treetops.

"Not here," he stated. Lucy opened her mouth to demand _why_ , when he sent her a warning glance. She fell silent. 

"Not here," he repeated again, turning back around to continue following the trail. Everyone groaned. Everyone but Gray, that is. Personally, he'd had enough of Natsu pushing them _faster, hurry up_ and over what _had_ to be the most difficult paths. He'd had enough of him not speaking and of not remembering yet. He was hungry, he was tired, and he was _cranky._

"And why not?" Gray demanded heatedly. Natsu turned around again, annoyance flaring in his eyes. In the pale moonlight, they looked like an almost translucent shade of jade. 

"Because, _Stripper_ ," Natsu bit out, clearly worn out from fighting and the relentless tracking. "We're not at the spot the trail thins out yet and it _is_ thinning out. This isn't a good spot to set up camp."

"Well maybe if you _tracked_ faster, then we wouldn't all be exhausted and jumping at every sound in this extremely suspicious area you've dragged us to. Did you even _think_ about the fact that we're not all Dragonslayers and we get tired?" Gray snapped. Natsu's slight wince and the downward quirk of his lips were all Gray needed to see to know that, _no_ , he hadn't considered that.

"Look," Natsu growled. "I'm literally just following the scent and _I can't control where that takes us._ Just tough it out for a little longer and we'll sleep once we get to an area where the trail is thinner."

"Isn't a thin trail bad?" Gray scoffed. "You think you'd know that a thinning scent trail is _bad_ when tracking people since your--"

 _Don't say it don't say it_ please _don't say it,_ Gray begged himself. He knew what was about to come out of his mouth, but he was too hungry and exhausted to stop it, with only the angry heat from earlier giving him energy.

"Since your _beloved dragon daddy_ is the one that taught you. He must've been a sucky tracker if he couldn't even teach his own 'son' that a thin trail is _bad_ and humans need to rest--"

Natsu's eyes were wide and were made even more angular because of his furrowed eyebrows. He pulled his lips back in a guttural snarl, baring his dagger-sharp fangs in warning. " _Gray--"_

And because Gray didn't know how to shut his mouth, he finished what he started.

"Clearly he didn't teach you manners very well, either. You look like a rabid dog."

It was deadly silent. Wendy had backed away from his side and was looking at him with such disgust that it almost floored him. Almost. The adrenaline pumping through his veins like liquid bravery (or stupidity, in this case) kept him angry. He continued to glare unblinkingly at Natsu, subtly shifting into a fighting stance as he took in the blatant signs that Natsu _was_ going to wreck his shit.

Murderous intent was palpable in the air.   


"You are such a piece of shit," Natsu finally breathed out in reproachful awe. He shook his head in disbelief. " _Gods_ , I can't even--What is _wrong_ with you?"

Random twigs and leaves ignited and snuffed themselves out in a way that created a flickering motion of light over Natsu's features, distorted with unbridled fury and _hurt._

"Y'know, _Gray_ ," Natsu intoned dangerously, voice so gravelly he was speaking in a growl. He walked slowly, but purposely, over to Gray, stopping only once they were a few inches apart. Gray dug his heels into the dirt to keep himself from fleeing from Natsu’s stormy green glare. "One day you're going to be such a massive asshole and say this shit to the _wrong person_. And when they _make_ you face the consequences of your inflated _ego_ ,"

He leaned in closer, face tilted up so his burning, rageful gaze bore into Gray's carefully still eyes.

" _Nobody_ is going to be there to help you. Not the Council, not Fairy Tail, not Lyon, not the team, not even _me_. And _not. Ur._ And do you want to know _why_ nobody is going to be there for you, oh special Ice princess?"

Natsu pulled away, stepping one, then two, then three steps back, never _once_ breaking eye contact.

"Because _you_ pushed them away. And they will _abandon_ you."

Gray's chest tightened at the raw _agony_ in Natsu's gaze. At the ferocity burning alongside it. At the haunted look darkening his eyes as he spoke from what sounded like personal experience. His own anger at the Dragonslayer bringing up Ur couldn't compete against the protective rush that made him want to wipe that wounded expression off of the younger boy's face. To reassure him that _he_ would never abandon him. To take back what he said. To wrap him up in his arms and spirit him away.

"Natsu, I--" he forced out, throat thick with some unnamed emotion, weak without the heat of his anger to back it.

But he never finished, frozen still as Natsu pulled back a flaming fist and let it fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the Easter egg:
> 
> "Hated the Blue Forget-Me-Nots and Nigellas in full bloom in the flower bed." & "Hated that he remembered Natsu jokingly bringing them to his infirmary bed after their return (at least he assumed they were a joke; Evergreen and Mirajane had started choking on what he guessed was poorly-hidden laughter)."
> 
> Explanation:
> 
> Blue Forget-Me-Nots: "represent true love and giving someone this flower means you truly love and respect this person. It is a testament to your relationships and promises the other person that you will never forget them in your thoughts. Fidelity. Forget me nots are a symbol of fidelity and being truthful to someone you love...Forget-me-nots represent long-lasting connections that can exist between not only lovers, but also friends. This connection can’t be broken or shaken by anything or anyone."
> 
> (Fidelity definition: faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.)
> 
> Blue Nigellas (also known as Love-In-The-Mist flowers): "a love-in-the-mist flower means perplexity, you puzzle me, openness to love and kiss me."
> 
> I don't know why I decided to add these things into this chapter, but I thought it'd be kind of cute and just add a little bit of interest to things. (Also I just wanted to see if it'd be possible for me to make a fic based on this idea. I've established that it's happening.)
> 
> Also, I'm really sorry about it being late for two chapters in a row! It's been almost an entire MONTH and that is MY BAD Y'ALL.


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